If Someone Had Known
by Joise
Summary: Her life changed dramatically the instant Brody walked into the church. Gigi’s endanger, could anyone have save her?
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer: I do not own a thing. All characters are owned by ABC.**

**If Someone Had Known**

by Joise

_AU This story takes place after Brody makes a surprise visit to Rex and Adrianna's wedding. This story will jump from past to present in various chapters._

_Summary: Gigi's endanger, but who will save her? _

**Prologue**

Rex was pacing outside the door of the emergency room. The shock of the last few hours has finally started to take a toll. He was torn between two equally powerful emotions: track down Brody and kill him with his own two hands and staying here being completely useless as Shane and Gigi's life hangs in the balance.

"Rex," Marcie said slowly as she rested her hand on his shoulder, "You need to relax…"

"Relax!" he hissed as Marcie as he turned to face her, "How can I relax when they're in there and I have no idea what is going on! Are they alive? Will they be okay?"

"You need to calm down Rex," Marcie said in a hushed whisper, "Gigi and Shane need you to strong for them."

"What they need is _that_ man to be found," Rex hissed, "I swear to God Marcie the moment I know they are okay I'm going to hunt down that bastard and kill him with my own bare hands!"

"Rex I know…"

"How the hell did this happen Marcie!" Rex screamed, "Why didn't anyone know?"

"I don't know," she said, her eyes full of tears threatening to fall.

"Why didn't she come to me?" Rex said, his face soften as the tears formed in his eyes. He didn't have the strength to hold them at bay anymore as they fell freely, "Why didn't she tell me? I would have….I'd never…Why?"

"I don't know Rex," she whispered, as she reached into her pocket and clutched a letter, "I wish I knew what to say….but I don't."

"They have to be okay," Rex said, "Please tell me Marcie that they will get through this, they have to get through this."

"She's strong woman," Marcie said, "and Shane has his father's strength…

"Don't you dare compare that sweet boy to that monster…"

"I'm not," she said firmly cutting him off, wishing her friend had told Rex the truth years ago, "Gigi asked me to give this to you if something happened to her." She held out the faded envelope to him.

"What is it?" he said, hesitant to grab it as if it would bite him.

"I don't know," she said truthfully, "She gave it to me a few months after your wedding. She wanted me to give it to you in case of an emergency. I never opened it and she wouldn't tell me what was in it."

Rex tentatively reached out and grabbed it. He looked at his name scribbled on the envelope and recognized her handwriting. "I can't," he said, "If I read it this means she's going to die."

"Rex."

"That's why she gave it you right?" he asked, "Incase she died?" Rex walked away from Marcie as her only response to his question was tears from her eyes as she looked at the ground. He heard the hush whispers of his mother-in-law and wife. He was about to turn the other direction when he heard Shane's name.

"This wasn't suppose to happen to Shane," Adriana whispered.

"What are you talking about Adriana?" Dorian asked, "What are you not telling me?"

"I didn't care what happened to her, I paid him to keep her away from Rex," she said, "but he wasn't suppose to go after Shane like that…"

Dorian's eyes widen at her daughter's confession, "You knew and you didn't do anything"

"I thought she was doing it for attention," she defended herself, "but when…"

"You what!" Rex screamed so loud it drew the attention of all those in the waiting room. His eyes were flaring with anger as he pointed his finger at her, "You knew he was….and you..." He was so frustrated and angry that his brain could not form a sentence.

"Rex," Adriana said, "It wasn't like that…"

"How long!" he demanded.

"I've known since before our wedding," she said, "that's why I paid Brody to come back…"

"What are you talking…"

"I didn't want her to tell you about Shane," Adriana continued with her confession, "I paid him to stay with Gigi…"

"You paid that sick bastard to do that to Gigi and Shane!" Rex screamed.

"I didn't know that he would do that," she confessed through her tears, "I couldn't believe it when I saw it…" her eyes widen at her slip as she covered her mouth as a way of preventing the rest of the sentence from coming out. She looked at the shocked of her husband.

"How long?" he demanded

"Rex you have understand…"

"How long!" his voice rose even higher than before, the vein in his neck was bulging out.

"You have to understand I did this for us..."

"Oh I understand alright," he said his voice full of venom as he towered over her and narrowed his eyes, "You're a heartless bitch and I never want to see you again." Rex turned around and stormed past the gathering crowd to look for a moment of piece.

"Mom…"

"Don't Mom me," Dorian scolded her, "You knew and you didn't say anything! I know I have been accused of horrible things in my time…but I could.." She looked at her daughter in disgusted and said, "Who are you and what did you do to my Adriana?" Dorian walked away from her daughter, ignoring her pleads and went to the door that Gigi was taken into, "Gigi," she said as she placed her hand on the door, "please forgive me. If I had known….I never would have….I'm sorry."

Rex sat down on a chair close to Gigi and Shane's room. He wanted to be close incase anything had happened. Anger was racing through his blood as his hands balled into a fist. He quickly released his right hand as he realized he just crushed his letter from Gigi. He wiped the tears from his eyes as he tried to straighten out the crinkles. He carefully broke the seal and pulled out the letter. He reread it several times not believing what he was reading, "How can this be true?" he said to the paper as he read it again.

_Dear Rex,_

_I have something to tell you. Something I have been holding in for a really long time. I hope you can forgive me, even though I know I do not deserve this, but you need to know the truth. If you are reading this my life is in the balance and if I died before I wake up to tell you the truth…I want you…no need you to know the truth. The truth I wanted to tell you at your wedding to Adriana. Do you remember that day…._

**Two years earlier**

"Dad!" Shane yelled as Gigi watched in surprised horror as her son ran to a man that was suppose to be dead, "You're alive!" Gigi watched the dead man pick up her son and embrace him.

"Gigi," Rex asked, "who is that man?"

"Brody," She said in shock, "but how?"

"Can you have this family reunion somewhere else?" Adriana demanded.

Rex noticed Gigi starting to pull away and he grabbed her hand to stop her from walking away, "You had something important you wanted to tell me," he said in a gentle voice. He was confused at the dread that seemed to be on Gigi's face. "What did you want to tell me?"

Gigi looked at their joined hands and then back at her son and his faux father. Her son looked happy, really happy. She looked back at the only man she ever loved and the true father of her son. She held back her tears as her heart broke into smaller pieces, "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters," he said reaching up with his free hand to wipe away the tears that escaped, "I know you Morasco," he said, "I can see it at your face that it's something important. Please talk to me."

"I can't," she said as the tears flooded from her eyes, "Brody's here."

"I can see that, but you're not right," he said as his face softened, "Morasco, tell me."

"It doesn't matter about the truth anymore, reality, or my dreams," she said cryptically, "My son is happy and I must live the story and say good-bye to reality."

"What?" he asked as his face crunched in confusion.

"Forgive me," she whispered before kissing him on the cheek and freeing her hand from his.

"Morasco…"

"Balsom," she said with each second she was losing her resolve "I can't tell you this, not anymore. I have to live the fairytale now and forget reality."

"Gigi," Adriana interrupted before Gigi would have time to rethink the decision she just made, "Can you please take your family reunion somewhere else? I think you interrupted the wedding long enough."

"I'm so sorry," she said in tears as she walked to the back of the church. Adriana grabbed Rex's hand and dragged him a little back to altar. Gigi looked back to see Rex's sad eyes and crestfallen face before exiting the chapel. She wiped her tears as she heard her son.

"Are you here forever?"

"Forever," Brody said.

Gigi's heart shattered as her son went on to tell Brody the life he missed when he was away at war. Gigi walked out of this church knowing her life will never be the same, if only she had known how true that would be.

At the altar of the church Rex couldn't help but wonder why his heart was telling him to run after Gigi as his mouth said the words "I will too."


	2. Living in Make Believe

**Chapter 1 Living in Make Believe**

Gigi, Shane, and Brody walked into the carriage house. Gigi was trying her hardest to keep her tears at bay and a smile on her face, no matter how much she wanted to break down. She made this mess of her life when she chose to lie to her son and continue lying to her son and the world even when his father came back into their world. "Forgive me Rex," she whispered to herself, "Forgive me Shane," she whispered to her son. She was getting lost in her head of all the possibilities of where life would take her now. Marcie knew the truth and would continue to pressure her to tell the truth to Rex and Shane. They deserved to know the truth. But what was the truth? She did not know anymore. Rex was married to Adriana and they would have kids of their own. He would have less and less time for Shane. And now Brody was here. That was the piece of this weird day that she could not put her finger on. _"Why was Brody here after all these years? Why now?" _ Where the questions that raced through her mind. None of it made sense, Brody's sudden appearance in an almost perfect timing made her suspicious…even so much that he embraced Shane right away not question that Shane referred to him as his father, _"How did he know what Shane looked like? Or where to find me?"_ Her thoughts were broken by her son's voice.

"Can you stay here with us?"

"NO!" Gigi blurted out all too quickly. She did not know this man in front of her now, he was very much a stranger in their world and something inside of her told her that he would bring pain. "What I mean," she said trying to cover up her mistake, "Is that he's probably staying someplace else and needs to get back."

"Mom…"

"No Mom me," Gigi said firmly, "Now say good-bye to Brody and get ready for bed."

"But Mom…"

"Bed Shane," she said, raising her voice a few octaves, "Did you forget you were in the emergency room today?"

"Can he stay just for tonight?" Shane begged, "It's really late out and he's here."

"Fine," she said giving in, "He can stay on the couch tonight, but that's it."

"Yes!" Shane said running over to her and giving her a big hug, "Thank you!" He ran over to Brody and hugged him as well, "I'll see you tomorrow Dad."

"Yeah, tomorrow," Brody said. He watched and waited for Shane to run upstairs before saying, "I see you're still hung up on the Balsom guy."

"He's none of your concern," she said walking past him and going to the closet looking for blankets and sheets for Brody. She grabbed the first ones she could find and threw them on the couch, "This is only for tonight."

"Aren't you the least bit happy to see me?" Brody asked.

"You were dead," Gigi said, "You're mother told me you were dead."

"I know," he said.

"How'd you find out?" She asked, getting immediately suspicious of his reply.

"What's with the twenty questions?" Brody countered, his temper was starting to get the better of him.

"We survived without you," she said, "And we were living quiet well without you as well."

"That's harsh."

"So is this!" She screamed, "You coming here out of the blue after ten years."

"You told him I was his father!"

"I'd rather had Shane believe his father died a war hero than his father abandoning him before he was born."

"And yet you still love that man," Brody hissed back.

"Yes!" She admitted, "And he didn't know about Shane."

"So he gets your forgiveness and I get a cold reception."

"You knew I never loved you," she whispered, "and it's been ten years Brody."

"You're point?"

"You never loved me enough to search for me for ten years." Gigi saw the anger flare in Brody's eyes when she said that and immediately wished she hadn't said it…even if it was the truth.

"The boy needs a father," Brody said after taking a few deep breaths.

"He has a father," Gigi said, "and it's not you." Gigi didn't even have time to react as Brody's hand came hard across her face. Her hand came up and clutched her tender cheek as she looked at him with wide eyes.

Brody immediately stepped back and his face fell, "I'm so sorry Gigi," he whispered, "I didn't…"

"Get out!" she screamed.

"Gi…"

"Get out of my house!" she screamed at him!

"You promised Mom!" Shane yelled from the top of the stairs.

Gigi turned and saw her son there, "How long have you been there?" She asked.

"I ran down when I heard you screaming," Shane said, missing the fact his mother had breathed a sigh of relief, "You promised me tonight Mom!"

"Your da," Gig stopped herself, this man wasn't his dad and she would never utter those words again, not after this, "Brody has someplace to be and needs to go."

"No I don't," Brody countered.

"That thing you told me about."

"I can cancel it."

"Mom," Shane pleaded with her.

"Fine," she said, "He can stay tonight, but you are gone first thing tomorrow."

"Why do I have the feeling I'm not wanted?" Brody asked, loving to watch her squirm.

"You leave in the morning Brody," she said, "Bed time Shane." She walked towards the stairs, "and this time you stay in bed."

"Goodnight Dad!" Shane said with a smile, "Mom," he said before turning around and walking up the stairs.

"He's a good kid," Brody said.

"You don't know him," she said, "but yes, he is a good kid."

"I want to know him," he said.

"You can't," she said. She felt a presence behind her and turned around to see Brody behind her.

"Give this a chance," he said, "You loved me once."

"No I didn't," she said, "and you knew that."

"You can't have him," Brody said, "He's married to someone whose not you."

"Leave me alone," she said grabbing Rex's old jersey from the stairwell and walking up stairs. She went into her room and cried into the jersey. In her tears she grabbed her phone and text a message, never intending to send it, just writing her needs down to make her feel better.

* * *

Anyone at the reception could look at the bride and see she was happy and content with the world. But looking at the groom, one could tell his mind was elsewhere and anyone at the wedding would know who was on his mind. He was distracted ever since he watched Gigi and Shane walk out the door with a man they did not know or more specifically _he_ did not know and it was bothering him all night. The song ended and he excused himself from his bride. He went to the bar and ordered himself a shot just to try and drink away the terror in Gigi's eyes. "Something's not right here," he mumbled himself as checked his cell phone for texts or messages from Gigi.

"You're telling me," Bo said, "You think you would have learned your lesson after last night's binge feast."

"Very funny," Rex said in between shots as he set his cell phone on the bar.

"Why don't you slow down there," Bo said grabbing the shot from his hands, "and tell me what's wrong instead of that shot glass. I promise I won't leave you with a headache in the morning."

"How about giving me one now?"

"Funny," Bo said, "Talk to me Rex."

"I can't stop thinking about Gigi."

"Color me shocked," Bo deadpanned.

"Did she look off to you today?"

"You mean outside of professing her love to you?" Bo countered.

"When that guy showed up."

"You mean Shane's father?" Bo asked.

"Don't call him that," Rex said quickly, "Something is off about that man. Did you see Gigi's face?"

"She looked surprised," Bo said, "and given the circumstances that is a normal reaction. She thought the man was dead Rex."

"I'm not talking about that face," Rex said, "I'm talking about the sadness on her face and the fear in her eyes. Something's not right." Rex paused for a few moments before stating, "I'm going to go over there and check on them."

Bo grabbed his arm as he tried to walk past him. "You got married today," Bo said, "and this is your reception. She's not your concern anymore."

"She will always be my concern." Rex said without hesitating as he freed himself from Bo's grip.

"What's going on here?" Adriana asked.

"Nothing," Rex said, "What can I do for you Ms. Cramer?"

"You mean Mrs. Balsom?" Adriana said trying to hide the hurt from Rex's statement.

"That's what I said," Rex said. Bo and Adriana could tell that she did not have his full attention, or possibly any of his attention.

"No you…never mind," she said not wanting to fight about it, "I would like to dance with my husband." She extended her hand for Rex to take.

"In a minute…"

"Where done here Balsom," Bo said trying to encourage Rex to dance with his wife and forget about this high school girlfriend, "Go dance with your beautiful wife."

"In a minute," He said, "I need to use the little boys' room."

On the way to the bathroom his cell phone made a sound letting him know there was a text message. Adriana picked it up from the bar and hit the left button to view the message _"I need you"_ it read. "Sorry Gigi," she said, "Rex isn't going to help you ever again." She deleted the message and pulled out her cell phone. She had finished sending Brody a text to meet her tomorrow when Rex came back. She watched as he grabbed his phone from the bar and check for any new messages. She tried to not let her face drop when she saw the disappointment in Rex's eyes.


	3. The Ugly Stepsister's Wicked Plan

**Chapter 2 The Ugly Stepsister's Wicked Plan **

_Present day _

"_Sometimes I wonder if I am just living in make believe, that the moment I stepped out of that church I have been living in a fairy tale. But it wasn't your ordinary fairy tale. I was still your distressed Princess like Cinderella, Snow White, Belle, or Sleeping Beauty, but unlike the stories, Prince Charming never came to my rescue. He never killed the dragon, but continued to send me home with the dragon, leaving me to fend for myself against the dragon. There was no happily ever after for this Cinderella. I never really understood that part Rex. I wrote you countless text messages and letters those first few weeks. I was begging for invention of any kind. Sleeping Beauty was continually attacked by the dragon and she cried out for help, but help never came. You left me there trapped in make believe, not only me but Shane. You left us with that monster…did you honestly think I was lying to you? That I was making this up so you would love me…love us? Did you really think I was trying to come between you and Adriana? After those first few weeks I gave up trying, I figured if the one person who knew me best in this world did not believe me, what chance did I have with the rest of the world that was full of strange faces. It was as if I ate that poisoned apple and fell into a deep sleep, but only to find my slumber was a waking nightmare. One where Prince Charming forgot he was suppose to come and kiss Snow White to awaken her from her sleep. I was living in a nightmare where I sacrificed my health and well being…possibly my life…to protect Shane from this monster named Brody Lovett. Why Rex? Why did you not believe me_

Rex wiped away the tears that were flowing from his eyes. After the fifth time rereading it, he still did not understand it. Gigi never wrote him in any shape or form. There was no emails, text messages, letters…hell even a smoke signal. He knew one thing for sure, if he had known, Brody Lovett would already be rioting in the ground. Gigi and Shane would not be fighting for his life. Images of this night flooded his mind as he quickly shook his head in hopes that they would leave his head. Gigi's lifeless form lying on top of the broken coffee table with blood coming everywhere from her. And Shane, poor Shane lying in a pool of his own blood as that monster…he didn't want to think about it. He wanted to forget the image of watching helplessly as he tried to break down the door or window to get to Shane in time. But he was too late; Rex watched in horror as Brody stabbed Shane in the stomach with a butcher knife and God he did not want to relieve seeing what happened to that boy. Anger, rage, and vengeance flowed through his blood. Brody Lovett was dead as soon as Rex got his hands on him.

"What you thinking about?" Natalie asked as she quietly sat down next to him. She had watched him across the room, reading over and over again the pages that were in his hands.

"That I wish I knew where that monster was so I can kill him."

"You don't mean that Rex," Natalie said, "He's a monster and he will get what's coming…"

"He's a dead man!" Rex screamed as he cut of the rest of her sentence, "I will kill him with my own to hands…no I will take that damn knife and cut him into little pieces."

"Rex…"

"And I hope to God he burns in hell for what he did to Gigi, to Shane," Rex spat out with vengeance, "Him and Adriana can both riot in hell!"

"Adriana?" Natalie said, the confusion could be heard in her voice and seen on her face, "What does…"

"Adriana knew," he screamed at the top of his lungs as he jumped up from his chair, "That bitch knew for a while now and didn't say a damn thing."

"That…"

"It's true!" he said, "She told me herself after I overheard her talking to her mother. She knew, she knew about it and she even saw him hit her. She never said a damn thing! For all I know she knew this whole time and did everything in her power to…" Rex's voice trailed off as he thought about Gigi's letter. The part he never could understand. Did Adriana really delete any message that Gigi sent? "No," he whispered as he fell back into his chair in disbelief, "She couldn't really be that heartless."

"What are you talking about?" she asked, "What did Adriana do?"

"I don't believe it," Rex said, "How could she be so cruel?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Natalie said again, she put her hand on his shoulder in hopes to bring him out of his thoughts.

"Gigi wrote this," Rex said gesturing to the letter, "and in it she asked why I never responded to her cries for help. But the thing is I never received any messages."

"And you think Adriana intercepted all those messages?" Natalie asked, hoping that it was a lie, that Adriana would not do something so cruel to another person.

"It makes sense…" Rex trailed off as he saw Adriana walk by. His eyes hardened as he glared at her, watching her movements. He leaped from his seat and grabbed her arm roughly.

She screamed at the contact and Natalie could see the terror in her facial features. "Rex you're hurting me," Adriana said as she tried to free her arm.

"I don't care if this hurts," he whispered, his voice was low and full of malice. It sent a shiver down her spine. "When?"

"When what?" she asked trying to free her arm but gave up when she realized the more she struggled the tighter he gripped her arm.

"Tell me when you heartless bitch!" he spat out.

"I don't know what you're referring to," she said as tear fell from her eyes from the pain Rex was causing her.

"Let her go Balsom," John said.

"As soon as she tells me when."

"Let her go now," he said.

"I need answers from this bitch and I'm not letting her go until she tells me everything!" Rex said, his was annoyed and angry.

"You're not going to get them if you don't let her go," John said, "You're borderline assault."

"I don't care."

"What good will you be to Shane and Gigi in jail?" John said in a calm voice, knowing that this would be the trick to get him to release Adriana. He watched as the anger in Rex's face increased as he slowly let go of her.

"Tell me when!"

"When what!" Adriana cried in frustration. She had no idea what he was talking about and wished he would give her hint.

"When was the first message Gigi sent me asking for help!" Rex said.

"What makes you think I know?" trying to fake innocence with him.

"I'm not in the mood for games," Rex said, "So if you would prefer to suffer the same fate as Brody, please continue with the faux innocence."

"Our wedding reception."

"Excuse me?" Rex said taking a step back; he didn't think he heard her right.

"She text you a message that say 'I need you' and I deleted it."

"Why would you do that!" Rex screamed, the shock wearing off and his anger back in full force. He took two steps closer and was face to face with her. Anyone looking at Rex could see the wrath oozing off of him.

"Because she just professed her love to you that day," she said, "and it was our day, not hers."

"You selfish bitch."

"Back off Balsom," John said pulling him off of Adriana and stepping between them. John had to be careful with Rex. He was a loose cannon right now and he could see the flicker of anger in his eyes and his balled fist raise slightly at Adriana's confession. Not that Rex would hit her, but he wanted to be safe than sorry.

"What did you do after deleting the message," John asked with his back to her as he watched Rex's every movement.

"I text Brody to meet me the next day…" Adriana started to tell the story, noticing that Marcie, Vicki, Roxy, Charlie, Bo, Natalie, Jared, Antonio, Talia, and her mother were there to hear what she had to say as well. God help her, because when the truth comes out, she will be sure killed by the mob of angry people staring her down at this moment of time. She knew that after this, Rex would definitely erase her from his memory, forever…that is if he doesn't kill her first.

* * *

_Two years ago_

Adriana was sitting on a bench in a secluded area of the park waiting for Brody to show up. She was looking around for him but came up empty handed. "Where the hell are you!" she said to herself.

"I'm right here beautiful," Brody said from his seat next to her.

"Jesus!" she said startled as her right hand came to rest over her fast beating heart, "You scared the crap out of me!" she scolded as she took that same hand and hit in him the shoulder. "Do not do that again!"

"Feisty," he whispered in her ear, "I like it. Wanna have some fun now?"

"What is wrong with you?" she said. She took a step closer and smelled him, "Are you drunk?"

"So what if I am?"

"It's 8:00 in the morning!" she chastised him, "And Brody the war hero isn't a drunk."

"Yeah?" he said definitely, "Well this Brody," he pointed to himself, "is leaving town in two hours. So long beautiful!" He mocked saluted her and turned to walk away from him when he felt resistance on his arm.

"We had a deal," she said as she grabbed his arm.

"And I held up my end of the bargain," he said, "You're married and Rex has that pretty picture in his head of a family that is really his, but he just doesn't know it."

"You're disgusting."

"Pot, kettle, black, ring a bell?" he said sarcastically.

"I need you here," she said, deliberately ignoring his remarks.

"I have to go," he said, "I can't be here."

"I need you here."

"It's safer for them if I disappear," Brody said and for a spilt second his eyes shown vulnerability before they hardened again.

"I will make it worth your while to stay."

"It's not safe for me to be here!" he pressed again, thinking about the other night when he slapped Gigi hard across the face.

"Are you a wanted criminal?"

"No."

"Wanted by the mob?"

"No."

"Loan sharks."

"It's not like that."

"No," she said, "this is what it is like. You name your price and I will pay it."

"Not interested." He replied quickly. He stepped closer, towering over her in hopes she would back down. His effort was in vein.

"That's what you said last time right before you cashed my check," she said, "name it and its yours."

"What are your terms?" he said giving in a little, trying hard to ignore the satisfied smirk on her face.

"I'll pay you one thousand dollars a week to play house with Gigi."

"For how long?"

"Until she is no longer a threat to my happiness and well being."

"That's a tempting offer," he said, "but I can't. I don't think I can be here, not after…"

"I don't care," she said, "I'll make it two thousand dollars."

"You're not listening…"

"No Brody," she said, "You're not listening to me. You're going to do this. Twenty-five hundred is my final offer. Take it or leave it." She could see the turmoil in his eyes. "Think about Shane."

"I am thinking about Shane."

"Then you'll do it," she said, "because if you leave now. You'll crush that little boy."

"Maybe that would be for the best," Brody said, "then maybe it would force Gigi to tell the truth. I'm not his father. Rex is.

"He doesn't know that," Adriana screamed, "and I plan on keeping it that way!"

"He doesn't know stupid lady," Brody countered, "but he's _being_ Shane's father, he just doesn't have the title."

"Then change it," Adriana said, "be the boy's father."

"And Gigi?"

"Whatever it takes to keep her in line," she said, never knowing how far Brody would take those words and how those words would haunt her for the rest of her days, "I don't care. Just as long as she doesn't tell anyone the truth of who Shane's father really is."

"You have yourself a deal pretty lady," Brody said as he reached out and shook Adriana's hand.

* * *

_Present time_

Adriana's body shook with fear as she finished recapping the story for Rex. She deliberately let out the part of him being Shane's biological father. It seemed even in this situation, she would carry that secret to the grave if she could. She never seen Rex so angry and furious in the entire time she had known him. She wondered what he would be like angry, she never would have guessed in a million years that when Rex finally became ragging mad that all those feelings of hate, rage, and anger would be directed at her.

"What ever it takes to keep her _in line_," Rex said, his voice was low and calm; it scared and hurt her more than if he had slapped her in the face. "What ever it takes to keep her _in line_," he mumbled over and over again as he stared a hole through her.

"Rex please say something," Adriana pleaded with him. The constant mumbling was started to terrify her even more than before.

"Balsom," John said, "Are you alright?" He put a hand on his shoulder in hopes to break him out of that trance.

"WHATEVER IT TAKES TO KEEP HER IN LINE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs. His words echoed through the hallway. Within a second he closed the few feet between him and Adriana as he successfully went around John. He had grabbed her by the shoulders and backed her into the wall. Adriana hit the wall hard, but it did not hurt her more than startled her. Seconds later John and Antonio were trying to pull Rex way from her. "What the hell were you thinking!" he whispered in a murderously low voice as John and Antonio pulled him away from her. "You did this to her! To him!"

"I did this for us," she said, "for our happiness. Our family!" The tears flew freely from her eyes and she rubbed her arms that stung from his grip. She wondered for a brief second if she would have a bruise in the morning.

"You did this for you and you alone!" he said, "Because what you did to _my_ family is inexcusable."

"I'm sorry," she said, "I know what you're going through."

"You have no idea," he screamed at her, "No idea at all!"

"Yes I do!" she screamed at the same time he yelled, "You were not there!"

"I wasn't there," she said, "but I'm sorry for what he did, but I never meant for this to happen…"

"What _he_ did?" Rex snarled back, "You mean what _you_ did! You paid an assassin to kill them!"

"No I didn't!" Adriana pleaded with Rex, "I never meant for this."

"No," Rex said, his voice was mocking her, "You only told him to do _whatever_ it takes. Well congratulations Adriana you won."

"Please don't…"

"Don't what?" Rex said, freeing himself from John and Bo, "let you celebrate. You got your wish. Gigi's life is hanging the balance and Shane." Rex hung his head as he tried to hold back the tears."

"I didn't mean for this to happen to Shane," she said, "Not to your so…"

"Don't you dare say his name!" Rex scolded her, "You have no right to say his name!" He watched as John and Antonio positioned themselves between Rex and Adriana incase he went after her again, "You were not there."

"What does that have to…"

"It has everything to do with it!" Rex screamed again, "You were not there. You were not the one that was trying to break down the door as you heard Gigi and Shane scream in agony. You did not witness Gigi getting hit so hard that her body literally flew into the air and broke the coffee table as she landed. You did not try to break the window to unlock the door as you watched Shane jump on Brody's back after he knocked Gigi down. Then proceeded to ram him into the wall behind him and you did not witness what that monster did to Shane…" Rex stopped to take a breath, hoping it would block the memories of that moment at bay, but it did not work. His anger had fueled the flood gates and the memories flowed freely. He closed his eyes as the tears fell from his eyes.

"Rex please."

His cold eyes opened at the sound of her voice, once again rekindling his anger, "You did not break the window in time to watch that cold hearted monster stab him in the stomach then gut Shane like a fish as that sick bastard screamed 'You can never have them' before making his escape." The fury in Rex's eyes made the men step closer to Rex, they grabbed him as he lunged at her again. "It wasn't you because it was me! I was the one that watched helplessly. I got there too late! I couldn't save them." He freed himself from their grip and back away again, "I stood there useless as _my_ family, _my _love, _my_ son" he pointed to himself each time he said the word 'my' as a way to emphasize his point, "were viciously attacked by a man that was on _your_ payroll" he pointed an accusatory finger at her as he said 'your,' "to do whatever the hell he wanted to Gigi just as long as you were happy!"

"Rex please."

"You better get on your knees thanking God because if you were not a woman I would have beaten the living day shit out of you by now," Rex said, "but God help you Adriana if those two do not pull through because I'm coming after you and your hired hit man."

"Don't threaten her Rex," John warned.

"It's not a threat," Rex said as he started walking away from her, "it's a promise."

"Rex please," Adriana pleaded with him, "Name it! Anything and I'll do it."

"Anything?" Rex asked as he stopped walking, but did not turn around to face her.

"Anything," she said, "name it and its yours."

"When my lawyer comes," he said, "sign the divorce papers because if they wake up I want to tell them my whore of an ex-wife did this to them, not my wife. You were never my wife."

"Rex…"

"I hope you have a miserable life Evelyn Evil," he said as walked away from her as John began to read Adriana her rights. She was being arrested for her part in what happened to Gigi and Shane. Bo and Charlie trailed behind him. Neither men knew how to comfort Rex, but hoped their presence would be comfort enough. They waited with Rex outside the doors Gigi and Shane were brought through. "I don't understand why," Rex said, "why did this have to happen to them?"

"I wish I knew Rex," Bo said as Charlie placed a hand on Rex's shoulder. Both men shared a glance, neither one his father, but both wished that Rex had his father for a time like this. They didn't know that Rex was comforted with both of them by his side.


	4. The Dragon Awakens

**Chapter 3 The Dragon Awakens**

_Two years earlier_

Brody went to the bars that night after cashing his check, feeling like he just hit the jackpot. He couldn't believe someone would pay him 2,500 a week to keep Gigi away from Rex. He couldn't understand it; he saw that Rex guy once and couldn't see the appeal. He didn't have to understand it to reap the benefits of free booze money. Anything and everything to keep the demons that were chasing him away. The war had changed him. He felt more on edge than ever, and those faces that haunted his dreams were too much to bear at times. Those innocent lives destroyed by his hands. The sweet golden liquor helped him forget, if only for a second, he would gladly welcome that second time and time again. He came back to Gigi's new place and passed out on the couch.

_There were explosions all around him as shots were fired. Brody saw the solider to his left fall to the ground. He went to him but he was dead. The bullet went straight through his neck. He looked up when he heard the person next to him yell "Bomb." Brody reacted on instinct and fired at the figure walking towards them. His aim was accurate at the person fell to the ground dead he had a chance to detonate the bomb. When it was clear Brody ran to him and saw that it was a small boy no more than twelve years old, give or take a few years. "I killed a child," he whispered to himself. His comrades tried to assure him that it was either the boy or the platoon; but it never did sit well with him. He was walking back to his platoon when he felt someone grab him from behind._

Brody woke up in a cold sweat as he felt hands on his shoulder shaking him. He reacted on instinct as he grabbed their wrist and pulled their arm behind their back. In an instant Brody went from on his back with his attacker next to him with his attacker pinned to the floor screaming in pain. As he started to awaken from his dream he noticed that he was not in the desert and this person definitely was not the man he thought he was attacking.

"Brody!" she screamed, "You're hurting me!"

As he was about to release her from his hold, they heard a snap and Gigi screaming in agony. He had broken her wrist. He quickly got off of her, "I'm so sorry Gigi," Brody said.

"You've been sorry a lot lately," she replied back to him sarcastically as she held onto her injured left wrist. She said Brody move towards her, "Don't you dare touch me!" she hissed, "You are never to touch me again!"

Brody was at a loss for words. It wasn't like he meant for this to happen. He could already see the bruised cheek from last night and the black eye forming under her right eye from when he forcefully threw her to the floor. He opened his mouth to speak, but no words came out. Instead he got to his feet and retrieved his whiskey bottle from last night. He opened it and took a long drink.

"You disgust me!" she said, "You're not the Brody I knew ten years ago!"

"Tell me something I don't already know," he snapped back at her as he took another long drink.

"I want you out of this house!" she said in a stern voice as she got up off the ground, she was being very careful not to move her wrist she knew was probably broken. "I want you away from me and away from Shane!"

"He thinks I'm his father," Brody said, "He'll be pissed if you run me off."

"I'll tell him the truth. I will sit Rex and Shane down together and apologize," Gigi said, "I'll do whatever it takes to protect my son from you. Even it that means he'll never speak to me again. Because his father, his real father is three times the man you will ever be! You will never come near us again Brody!"

Brody took another drink as he processed her words, if he wasn't here, Adriana wouldn't pay him anymore. He needed that money to keep him numb. She did order him to do "whatever it takes."

"If I see you near us again so help me God…"

Gigi never had the chance to finish her statement. In a blink of an eye he went from being five feet away from her to slamming her against the wall with his hands around her throat as he tightened his grip a little to deny some of the oxygen from getting into her lungs. "Now you pay close attention to me," he said in a deadly voice, "You will do no such thing. This is my family, not Rex Balsom's do you understand me?" He waited for her reply, when she didn't give him any indication that she was agreeing with him he pulled her out from the wall to slam her hard into again. His fingers tightened around her throat as he watched the terror increase in her eyes. "Do you understand me?"

Gigi couldn't speak; she could only nod in agreement with him.

"And if you think about saying anything about this to Rex, the cops, anyone," Brody said as the threat rang clear in his voice, "I will hunt Shane down and gut him like a fish. There is nothing you can do to protect that boy. I will kill him dead if you breathe a word of this to anyone."

Gigi was feeling light headed due to the lack of oxygen to her system. The tears flew freely from her eyes as she cried for her own pain and the danger she caused her son by not telling him the truth when she saw Rex again after ten years in that diner in Paris, Texas.

"Rex Balsom will never know the truth and neither will Shane. You keep you mouth shut or your son's life will end. Do we have an agreement?" Brody asked, "Your life for his?"

Gigi nodded again and he released her. She felt to the floor and cried out in pain when she landed on her injured wrist. She was taking deep breaths to get oxygen back into her lungs.

"Mom!" Shane yelled as he ran into the living room with Rex closely behind him.

"What is he doing here?" Brody asked gesturing to Rex.

"Rex picked me up from softball practice," Shane explained, "What happened to Mom?"

"Gigi is on the floor in pain and you're more concerned about why I am here?" Rex said in disbelief as he ran to Gigi. His voice was louder, drowning out Shane's explanation.

"She fell down the stairs and I was about to take her to the emergency room when Shane came in," Brody said. He was already getting annoyed with Rex. The tender way he would look at her and check out her injuries. He scowled back at Rex as he glared back at Brody.

Rex looked at the stairs next to him and Gigi's fallen form on the other side of the room, "How did she fall down the stairs but land way over here," He gestured to Gigi next to him. His voice soften has he took her wrist into his hands, "Does this hurt?" he asked, she immediately hissed in pain, "I would take that as a yes. What else hurts?"

"Everything," she whispered in a horse voice from being strangled just moment before.

"Is it hard to speak?" Rex asked, as she nodded, "That doesn't make sense if you had fallen down the stairs. What happened Gigi? Tell me?" He gently as possible stroked her cheek with his hand. He wanted to comfort her with his touch as well as his words.

"She fell down the stairs," Brody said as he walked next to Shane and set a hand on the back of Shane's neck. To anyone who was not Gigi it would look like a comforting gesture, but to Gigi it was warning. "She had a sore throat this morning that is why her voice is scratchy. And to answer your previous question Mr. Know-It-All I thought the car was in back so we started back there. Gigi corrected me and I left her there to get the car."

"On the ground instead of the couch just two feet away," Rex said, his tone implied he did not believe his story, "In your underwear as well?"

"I was going to change first," Brody said, "I was a little preoccupied with Gigi to remember my state of dress…"

"It's true," Gigi whispered, the tears that were falling were of the new lies her life was about to become. She just wanted to stop the arguing so someone would take her to the hospital. "I told him that I would make it to the couch, you know me, have to do everything myself." She laughed briefly before she realized how much it hurt. She felt Rex's comforting hands on her back. "I fell down when Brody got a few feet from me. That's when Shane and you came in."

"Can you get up?" Rex asked.

Gigi with Rex's help tried to stand up, but her back and body would not agree with her. She leaned against Rex as he kept her from falling again. "I can't," she whispered in frustration, "It hurts too much."

"I want you to tell me if this hurts," Rex said as he gently lifted her in his arms, "You okay?" She nodded yes and snuggled her head in the crook of his neck. "Shane can you get the door."

"I can take it from here," Brody said blocking Rex's path to the door.

"I don't want to risk hurting her anymore, she's fine right here," Rex said trying to walk about him. When Brody reached for her, he turned his body so he could not grab her from him, "I said I can take care of it."

"I can do it."

"I don't care," Rex said, "I'm here and I'm handling it." He started to head the back way would when Brody went around him. He turned around before Brody could reach for her again.

"This is my family!" Brody nearly growled at him. Adriana will kill him if he lets Rex take Gigi to the hospital.

"I don't care," he said, "I care about this woman and frankly I don't think you're doing a good enough job taking care of her!" he growled back at Brody. His facial features and tone softened when he said, "Shane the door please, and open the passenger side door of my car and hop in back."

"This is my family! You have to right or claim to them," Brody said, "I can take care of her fine. She fell. I had no control over that!"

If Rex wasn't so focused of Brody he might have noticed that Gigi's body tensed up when Brody said he had no control over her injuries. She subconsciously snuggled in closer to Rex and hoped to wake up from his nightmare soon.

As Brody scrambled around the living room looking for the clothes he wore last night, Rex carried Gigi to his car and Shane was waiting with the car door open. Rex gently placed her on the seat and buckled her in. He locked the door manually before closing it as gently as possible. He motioned for Shane to get in. He stood at the door waiting for him to buckle up and locked that door as well. He also put on the child safety lock in case Shane would open the door for Brody. Rex was rounding the car when Brody came out of the house, having changed into his clothes. Rex jumped into his car and turned on the engine has Brody reached Gigi's door. He tried to open it but founded it locked as well as Shane's. Shane tried to open the door fro his father but was unsuccessful. Rex backed out of the driveway leaving Brody cursing at him as he ran back into the house for Gigi's car keys.

"Why did you leave my dad behind?" Shane asked.

"You're mom's in a lot of pain buddy," Rex said, "I couldn't wait any longer to argue with your dad. She needs to go to a hospital."

"But he was right there," Shane said.

"Do you trust me buddy?"

"Yeah," Shane said without hesitation.

"Then trust me that I know what's best for right now," Rex said looking at Shane through his rear view mirror. "And know that I will always be here for you and your mom. I know you have your dad back in all, but I will always be there for you. I'm not going anywhere. If you ever need me, call me, it doesn't matter what day or time it is. If you need me, I'll be there in a heartbeat." Rex didn't know why he needed Shane to know that, but deep in his heart he knew that someday they would need him for something and it was very important that boy knew that he would always be there for him.

"I know Rex," Shane said, "Me and my mom are very lucky to have you in our lives."

"You got that wrong kid," Rex said, "I'm the lucky here."

* * *

_Present Time_

Rex sat outside Shane's room looking in at the boy as the doctor's worked on him. He remembered that day like he was yesterday. He wished he would have picked up on the clues back then. Maybe then today never would have happened. He remembered how angry Brody was when he got to the hospital, but he shook it off as taking Brody being angry that he was taking care of what Brody called 'his family.' Rex never knew that it was really his own family that Brody was terrorizing and his wife…no ex-wife funded this living nightmare. Rex felt a sense of shame that this was happening right under his nose. He can still picture Gigi's face when Brody took showed up and stayed by her side at all times. The way she tensed up whenever Brody would touch her. Gigi left the hospital with a broken wrist, bruised ribs and face. She was terrified of him and he chastised himself for not seeing it at the time. But if he had to be grateful for one thing in this world, it was the Shane remembered Rex's promise and called him. Unfortunately it was two years too late. If that was the first incident of his abuse on Gigi…God only knows how long his son had been abused by that monster. He felt like a failure as a father for not protecting his son and as angry as he was at Gigi for not telling him the truth when he asked her; he knew he failured her too. A father is suppose to protect his family, not leave it in the hands of a dragon ready to devour them. He would make it up to them, but first then needed to get through this ordeal. Rex watched the doctor's work on his son. His heart sank to his stomach when he heart Shane's heart monitor flat line and Michael screaming for a crash cart. "Oh dear God," Rex whispered, "Please don't take my son from me."


	5. The Handmaiden's Tale

**Disclaimer:** Chapter title is from the book by Margaret Atwood.

**Chapter 4 The Handmaiden's Tale**

_Present Time_

"_This is my confession to you Rex and I know once I say the words that you will hate me forever. I know if I were you I would. I never meant to keep this from you. I was on the verge of telling you when Brody came back into my life, our lives. You asked me once why I wasn't over you or how I could still be in love with you after ten years. And the answer is simple. It's Shane. Everyday I see more of his dad in him it scares me. Everyday I see the man I loved all those years ago in my son. In his smile, the way he walks, his mannerisms, and even the shared medical condition. I couldn't stop loving you after all these years because everyday I looked at and spent with Shane, I was reminded of that love. How could I fall out of love with you and love Shane more and more everyday? It was impossible. You two are like the same person most of the time it scares me. Sometimes I wondered if he was all Balsom or if there was some Morasco in him. Shane is very much like his dad Rex, he's so much like you that I couldn't help but still love you after all these years. Because falling out of love with you would be like if I stopped loving our son. And how could I do that? You've met that amazing boy and you love him too. I hope that someday you can forgive me for my deception, if I live long enough to earn back your forgiveness. _

_Rex I need to you listen very closely to my words. You are Shane's father and he will need you, because if you're reading this, I cannot protect him anymore. I know you didn't believe me before when I begged you to help me, but if you're reading this I know in my heart you believe me now. When I realized I was alone in this, my silence protected our son. I would give my life for our amazing son in a heart beat. I can't protect him now; I need you to be the one that protects him, loves him, cares for him, and show him what it means to be a strong man in this world. A strong man like his father is. I trusted Marcie with my secret and I trusted her with this letter. I have enclosed Shane's birth certificate. If you look under father, you will know from the very beginning, part of me wanted Shane and the rest of world to know the truth. Please take care of our son. Find it in your heart to forgive me. But most of all, protect that little boy from that monster that was unleashed on our family. Please do not let Brody lay one finger on our beautiful baby boy."_

* * *

"Clear!" Michael ordered as he put the paddles for a fifth time on Shane. He pushed the button to send an electric pulse through the boy's body, but once again the heart monitors stayed flat line. "Charging," Michael ordered. "Come back to us buddy," he whispered to the little boy. "Clear," he instructed when the paddles where charged again. The doctor breathed a sigh of relief when his heart had started beating again. "Good job Shane," Michael said to the boy. He looked out the window and saw Rex's helpless expression staring back at him. He didn't know what to do but gave Rex a thumbs up sign, releasing even as he did it, how lame it looked.

Rex could breathe again when Shane's heart started beating again and his own heart started beating after the thumbs up sign from Michael. Rex felt a hand on his shoulder and saw Marcie on the corner of his eye. He rolled his shoulder to successfully knock Marcie's hand from his shoulder. He repeated the gesture when she put her hand on his shoulder again. The third time he took a step away from her to stop her from touching him again.

"What's wrong?" Marcie asked.

"I don't want to talk to you right now," Rex said as calm as he could.

"What's going on?"

"How long?" Rex said, his eyes still fixed on his son.

"How long what?" Marcie asked, not following his train of thought.

"How long have you been hiding the fact that I have a son from me?" Rex said as he turned to face her. His eyes shown with the mixture anger and fury that he felt as he bore into her.

"Rex I…it wasn't…"

"Spare me the details," Rex said, "my son almost died in there and I just founded out I had a son. That little boy might die thinking that despicable excuse for a human being is his father!" His tone rose with each passing word, at the end of his sentence he was screaming at her. Rex turned to see Michael exiting the room and walking towards John. He held a hand up to Marcie to silence her since he had to strain to hear what was wrong with Shane.

Marcie could see the conflict in his face how much he wanted to know what was going on with Shane. She saw the pain disappear as his face lightened. She guessed she remembered that he's Shane's real father and he has the consent to this privileged information.

"What he needs is surgery," Michael said, "but it's risky and I will need a parent's consent since there could be a safer treatment but I don't think it would work. But without parental consent…"

"You have to side on the error of caution," John finished for him.

"Right now I can't keep him stable for the OR. If I can get him stable I will have him rushed into the OR right away, but I need parental consent for the surgery I think would be best course of treatment for Shane," Michael sighed, "Gigi's lapsing into a coma and Brody is no where to be found. I put in a call to have…"

"Do whatever you need to do to save him," Rex said as he heard the end of the conversation.

"Rex you're not family…" John tried to say but he was cut off again by Rex.

"He's my son," Rex said with force.

"I know you think of him as your own…" John tried to say, but was interrupted again.

"He is my son," Rex said pulling out the letter from Gigi and Shane's birth certificate, "He's my son. If you don't believe it, it's right here in black and white. That is my son in there and I'll sign anything that means I have a chance to watch that little boy grow up."

"Where did you get this?" John asked.

"You mean did I make it?" Rex said, understanding the accusation in the question, "It's from Gigi. It's Shane's birth certificate. If you don't believe me, you can run a DNA test. But you're wasting your time. That little boy is mine and he needs better treatment that was he is getting. No offense Michael, but I can tell your hands are tied right now."

"John?" Michael said looking for his approval.

"Why didn't…"

"She found out after I disappeared on her over ten years ago," Rex explained, "When Brody died she thought it would be better her son believe his father was a war hero, not some slum who abandoned him and his mom. But she put my name on the birth certificate so that the truth would be there always. At least that's what her letter said."

John looked at the broken man before him and his heart broke a little for him after going through this with Marty all those years ago. He nodded to Michael as he handed back the letter and birth certificate back to Rex, "You heard the boy's father Michael. He has some papers to sign."

"Thank you," Rex said, "How is Gigi doing?"

"That I cannot answer for you Rex," Michael said, you could tell by his tone he wished he could."

"That's my family."

"No," Michael corrected, "You share a child, but you're not her husband, her brother. Hell you're not even her cousin twice removed on her mother's side…"

"Don't be glib," Rex warned.

"I don't mean to be glib," Michael said, "But the fact of the matter is, you're not family or her power of attorney…"

"Actually that is 100 accurate," Marcie said.

Rex turned at the sound of her voice and glared at her, "Go away…"

"What did you say?" John said coming to Marcie.

"Rex is her power of attorney," Marcie said handing job document in her hand, the other hand held a letter. Before John could grab it, Rex took it and started reading over the document.

"Give it back," John said trying to grab for it but Rex moved before he could.

"How is this possible?" Rex said looking at Marcie in confusion, giving John time to take the document from him.

"Is this not your signature," John said after a quick glance.

"Yes," Rex said, "But I don't remember signing it. I would have remembered Gigi saying 'Hey Rex incase Brody beats me into an unconscious state I would like you to have the privilege knowledge of my medical condition' yeah I think I would have remembered that."

"Now whose being glib," Michael mumbled under his breath. He knew Rex heard him when he saw Rex glare at him.

"It's been notarized and official," John pointed out, "You are her power of attorney."

"How is this possible?" Rex said looking at Marcie. The question alone seemed innocence, but the accusatory glare and tone implied that this was another secret she was keeping from him.

"Gigi wrote me a letter," Marcie explained to Rex and the others, "She didn't give it to me; she gave it to Natalie for safe keeping. Natalie forgot she had it until now. She said she rushed home and gave it to me when you went to talk to Michael. Inside I found the document."

"Hand it over," Rex said with his hand stretched out. He took it from her and read it about half way through when John snatched it from him. There was a temporary battle over how had possession, but Rex had won.

"Rex that could be evidence!" John chastised him.

"It's not," Rex said as he finished reading the letter before John snatched it from him and read it over quickly.

"You two remind me of small children," Marcie whispered softly before she heard John read the letter out loud. As he read the words out loud she could not help but to feel responsible for what had happened to Gigi. If she had only been honest with Rex from the start or been more persistent with Gigi, if she would have only seen the signs she would not be standing in the ER wondering if the woman would quickly became her best friend and her son would live to see another day. Marcie felt like a murder because of her silence…something she would never forgive herself for as long as she lived. She didn't deserve forgiveness; she deserved to be despised for the rest of her life as the people in this room feel for Brody Lovett; shear and utter hatred that bore deep into their hearts and souls.

"_Dear Marcie,_

_I know right now you are blaming yourself for what is happening. You were a good friend to keep my secret and a good friend to Rex by continuing to pressure me into telling him. But I couldn't tell Rex that Shane was his son. Brody had threatened to kill Shane if I had told Rex about Shane. His exact words were "I will gut that boy like a fish if you ever tell Rex that he's Shane's father." I had to protect Rex's son from that monster. I do not blame you; I blame me for brining this monster into our lives. Part of me wanted to tell Rex anyways after all, he protected us with that whole Ramsey incident. But the other part of me, the stronger part told me that Rex doesn't believe you, you need to protect Shane. Maybe that does translate into lack of faith in Rex, but Shane is my life…without him I know I couldn't go on…especially if it was my fault that he was killed. I know Rex, he will be angry with you if he finds out, but I also know his heart. And his heart will forgive you. I'm just not sure how long it will take for his pride to forgive you too…especially if someone horrible happened to me. _

_I have enclosed a document that will allow Rex to do what he would want to be doing right now. I can only imagine the frenzy Michael is in right now because Rex will want to know what is wrong with me but cannot tell him anything. It's not Michael's fault that Rex likes to play Superman when it comes to me and our son. This is no way an attack on Michael and his ability to take care of me…because I know of our friendship by law he will not be allowed to attend to me or have any say in my case. I once told Rex that I trust him with my life and I've taken strides to make sure he can do what he wants to do…and that is to try and save me from whatever Brody has done to me. I have enclosed an official document that give Rex power of attorney incase I cannot make the medical decisions for myself. I trust Rex and I know his heart. He will do what is best for me and for our son. Rex does not know about it, I tricked him into signing it when I put it in with a bunch of other documents from BE that required his signature. I know that is awful, but if Rex knew what he would be signing, I don't think he would sign it. He didn't care enough to find out what was happening at that time. But I do know his Superman complex will be kicking into over drive right about now. _

_My dear friend, I hope that someday you can forgive me for the aguish and pain I have caused you by keeping this secret. I wanted to tell Rex so many times and I was about to at his wedding when Brody came. The second time Brody laid his hands on me I told him I was going to tell Rex and Shane the truth when Brody threatened that if I ever told anyone he would "gut Shane like a fish" because Rex would never be allowed to have him as a son. That is why I never told. I had to protect him from Brody. That is why I forced your silence. I did it for my son, Rex's son, I did it for Shane. Please do not carry any guilt with you. None of this was your fault. All blame lies on my own shoulders. I just pray to God every night that what I am doing does not put my son at risk. That is my only prayer, that Shane makes it through this ordeal alive and well._

_Love,_

_Gigi_

Rex tried to think of a time that Gigi could have pulled this on him and like a bolt of lightening it came to him quickly. He remembered a time at BE that Gigi brought in a stack of papers that required his signature. He remembered her being very nervous when he pulled what he now knew what her power of attorney. He brought her explanation without even looking it over with a glance. It was those eyes and the accusation that said, _"Don't you trust me."_ He would have been angry at her if he didn't realize what she was doing. She was asking him to trust her, the way she was putting her trust him in…all without him knowing. He chuckled at the thought, "That is Morasco for you," he said, "making life more complicated than it needed to be. If she told me why, I would have signed it without any hesitation."

"She was afraid…."

"Shane doesn't have time for the trip down memory lane here," Michael said, gesturing Rex to follow him, "Shane is stable enough for surgery. He has serve internal bleeding from multiple stabs to his abdomen as well as the long cut. It has damaged his stomach and small intestines. We did a quick fix in the stomach wall in ER to keep the stomach acids from oozing into his intestines. Shane will need to have repair done to his intestines. I'm not going to lie to you Rex, it's a risky surgery and with a high morality rate."

"And if he doesn't have the surgery?"

"There is a greater chance of death," Michael said, "There needs to be repair done to his stomach as well. When Brody…." Michael couldn't bring himself to say the words; just mere thought of it was making him sick to his stomach, "The greatest damage is from the final stab wound. We have but a temporary repair and the surgeon will go in and fix the damage. We are hoping that Shane will be able to keep all of his small intestines, but right now it looks grim."

"How long is the surgery?"

"Could be up to 12 to 18 hours," Michael said, "It all depends on the damage. There could be damage we couldn't see. Shane keeps bleeding from somewhere which is why he keeps crashing. We can't find the link. We have been giving him as much blood as he needs." Michael handed the form and watched as Rex read through it quickly.

"Michael," Rex said, as he scribbled his signature down, "That's my little boy in there and I'd really like to see him grow up and out live me." He handed the forms back to Michael.

"We all do Rex," Michael said as he patted his shoulder with one hand and grabbed the clipboard with the other.

"Can I see him before he goes into surgery?" Rex asked.

"Yeah," Michael said, "Make it brief though, we don't have a lot of time."

Rex nodded as he followed Michael into Shane's room. He was waiting hours for this moment and wondered if he would have the courage to step into the room. Gigi might have referred to him as Superman, but right now he was scared out of his mind. He took a deep breath before stepping into the room. His breath caught into his throat seeing his little boy hooked up to all the machines. Shane even had a breathing tube in as his lungs failed to breathe on their own. He walked to the bed and grabbed Shane's hand and his other hand stroked his head. "Hey there buddy," Rex said, "it's me Rex, your dad." Rex swallowed hard as he held back his own tears. "Now they are going to take you to the OR where a doctor will be making you better. You will get better because we have our whole lives together to look forward. You, me, and your mother, our little family. I love you kid," Rex said as his tears broke free from their prison.

"Rex," Michael said, "It's time to go."

Rex turned to see Michael's sadden expression before turning back to Shane. He plastered a fake smile on his face and tried to sound positive for his son. "I'll be here waiting for you," Rex said, "I love you son." He leaned down and placed a kiss on Shane's forehead. When he stepped away, Shane was immediately wheeled into towards the OR. Rex watched until Shane disappeared from his sight. He felt a presence next to him, from the corner of his eye he saw Dorian Lord looking at him. "Go away," he said simply.

"I'm sorry for what she did to your family," Dorian said.

"Your apologizes mean nothing to me," Rex said still focused on the door.

"If I had known Rex," Dorian said, "Oh my Lord, if I had known I would never have allowed for her to continue doing this to them."

"Your words mean nothing to me, just like you," Rex said walking away from her, "You didn't know and this still happened."

"I want to make amends," Dorian said following Rex.

"Well _if _Gigi wakes up I'm sure that she'd love to hear what you have to say…" he said as he stopped and turned to face her.

"I hired the best specialist in the world for Gigi and Shane's case," Dorian said, "Dr. Derrick Sheppard is on his way from Seattle Grace and Dr. Nathan James just arrived from New York and has already scrubbed in on Shane's surgery."

"Why are you doing this?"

"Because I feel responsible for Adriana's part in all of this," Dorian said gravely, "I should have known so I could have put a stop to this foolishness."

"But you hate me and Gigi," Rex countered.

"Yes I do," Dorian said, "but none of you deserved this. And I hope my daughter pays for funding that bastard's reign of terror."

"Thanks Dorian," Rex said.

"I'm doing this for them," Dorian said, "I may hate that saucy woman, but I want her to wake up to yell at me more than anything in the world. She has so much life left to live. And Shane's life just begun, it can't end now." Dorian's cell phone rang, "Excuse me."

Rex nodded and watched her walk away in disbelief, "Who knew the wicked witch of the west had a heart?" he said to himself. He looked around and his eyes settled on Marcie reading her letter from Gigi. He looked around, wanting to know where Michael was to know what was going on with Gigi. He overheard him say she was lapsing into a coma and if Dorian was calling in a neurologist, the best in the world…it could not be a good thing, right? He walked up to Marcie and looked at her with cold eyes. "How could you do this to me?"

"I ask myself that all the time now," Marcie said, hanging her head in shame.

"When?" Rex said.

"She let it slip to me before your wedding that she was she only loved one man, Shane's father and she will always love you. I put the pieces together."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"Gigi," Marcie said, "she always seemed to have a reason or told me she would tell you. She just needed time. Two years later and I found out I am the messenger to her telling you. I should have known when she came to see me that day. I shouldn't have accepted her excuses no matter how much they may have made sense."

"Tell me about that day," Rex requested.

"It was two months after your wedding," Marcie said, "I hadn't seem much of Gigi since the wedding. I chalked it up to Brody being back from the dead and wanting to spend time catching up. When she came into my apartment I thought something was off…"

* * *

_One Year, 10 Months Ago_

Marcie was dusting around her apartment when she heard a knock on the door. Marcie was in a bad mood and was trying to clean away her frustrations. She had another encounter with Adriana and it ended ugly. Her sour expression immediately broke into a huge grin at the sight of her friend. "Gigi," she said excitedly, "I'm so glad that it's you!" In her giddiness she pulled Gigi into a tight hug but immediately let go when her friend cried out in pain. "What's wrong?" she asked, the concern was evident on her face and tone. She lightly rubbed her back and Gigi cried even harder. "What happened?" she asked as she ushered her friend into her apartment and onto the couch.

"It's nothing," Gigi said softly as she carefully sat down.

"That's not nothing," Marcie said sitting next to her, taking note of the hissing sound she made when she sat down, "You screamed in pain when I touched you. What happened?"

"It's nothing really…"

"Let me be the judge of that," Marcie said in a tone that let Gigi know she wasn't going to give up on this.

"It's silly really," Gigi said, "Yesterday I was at the park with Brody and Shane. We were playing all sorts of sports."

"And?"

"And I'm really sorely out of shape," Gigi said with a laugh, "I woke up so sore and in pain."

"Is that the truth?" Marcie asked, not sure if she believed the story complete.

"Yes," she said, "it's the truth. I really need to stretch before over exhorting myself or just let the boys do that sports stuff and I can be the cheerleader. I think my body would like that as well." Gigi laughed light heartily and hoped her friend bought the lie. The truth was that her back was covered in bruises and her stomach was so dark, she didn't know a person could bruise that dark. She hid her bruises in a sweater and brushed her hair in front of her make covered bruise on her cheek. Brody came home drunk and angry the night before and took his anger out on her. The whole time mumbling something about that bastard Rex Balsom never letting up. When Gigi defended Rex to him that is what had originally set him off, Gigi's devotion to Rex and nothing for him.

"If you say so…"

"I do say so," Gigi said.

"Okay," Marcie said before taking a breath, "It's been two months Gigi, when are you going to tell Rex…."

"I can't talk about that now," Gigi said, "I'm going to be late picking up Shane from baseball practice…"

"I thought Rex was doing that," Marcie interjected.

"Brody's not happy about how much of Shane's life is consumed by Rex…"

"He's the boy's father."

"Geez thanks for reminding me I almost forgot there," Gigi said sarcastically.

"Gigi," Marcie sighed, "they deserve to know the truth. Both Shane and Rex."

"I can't, not now," Gigi said, "but I can't stay long. I need you to do me a favor."

"You mean besides this one?"

"Marcie," Gigi said in a warning tone.

"What?"

"If something ever happens to me…"

"Where is this coming from?"

"Me, the sore woman standing in front of you," Gigi said, "If something where to happen to me I want you to give this to Rex."

"What is it?" Marcie asked at she took the letter from her friend who was acting weird.

"I'm asking you to trust me," Gigi said, "Life is unpredictable and I want Rex to have this in case something happens."

"You're scaring me."

"It's not my intention," Gigi said, "Please just trust me and do this for me."

"Sure," Marcie said, "But just so you know, I won't ever have to give this to Rex because we are going to grow into crazy old cat ladies together."

"Deal," Gigi said with her first real smile in a long time.

* * *

_Present Time_

"I feel so stupid right now," Marcie chastised herself, "She was hurting because of him, not because of some sports. What was I thinking, Gigi didn't play sports…but I couldn't think of a reason she would lie to me."

"Gigi hid this from the world," Rex said, "you shouldn't blame yourself."

"Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you don't blame yourself?" Marcie said to Rex. His immediate reaction was to look at the ground, "That's what I thought." She paused for a few seconds, finding the strength for the next question, "Do you hate me for this?"

"I can't talk to you about this," Rex said, "Not right now. I'm on information overload…..Michael!" Rex yelled over Marcie's shoulder as her husband approached them. Rex got up and walked with him, "Tell me about Gigi."

"Gigi has many cuts, abrasions, and bruises from the impact of the abuse and the table she was thrown onto. She has six broken ribs, right arm is broken, and her left leg is broken…"

"Why is she not awake if…" Rex interrupted Michael's explanation.

"She has serve head trauma and her brain is swelling," Michael said, "If it continues to swell we will need to do emergency surgery to drill a hole in her head to alleviate the pressure. She also has been unconscious since she came in."

"I over heard you telling John that she is lapsing into a coma," Rex said.

"She is lapsing, she has lapsed into a coma," Michael said, "If you know of any family she has, you might want to call them."

"Are you saying she could die?"

"The odds are not in her favor," Michael said, "she slipped into a coma from the head trauma and she has not been alert since her head broke the table. She has serve head trauma and already lapsed into a coma. I'm not an expert, but if she doesn't wake up soon, she might not."

"When does that Dr. Sheppard come?"

"In an hour," Michael said, "his plane was delayed."

"How could something like this happen?" Rex groaned out his frustrations, "So many people in her life, how could not even one person see this!" Rex growled out raising up one finger to emphasize his point that not one person knew what was happening. He kicked the chair closest to him to release some of those frustrations.

"You need to stay calm Rex," Michael said, "Gigi's stable now. If you want to see her you can, but first you need to calm down."

"I am calm!" Rex barked back at him. He sighed realizing that he was far from calm. He took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, "Sorry," he said, "I'm just really angry right now."

"I understand it Rex," Michael said, "and you're not the only one who is angry. But Gigi needs positive energy around her."

"I'm calm now," he looked and saw Dorian walk by, "Dorian."

"Yes?"

"I wanted to say thank you," he said, "For the specialist. For taking care of my family. I'll find a way to pay you back."

"There's no need," Dorian said, "This is my penance for my daughter. She did this too you know."

"I'm glad she had the good sense to leave," Rex spat out.

"She didn't leave Rex," Dorian said, "She was arrested on suspicion of aiding Brody. She's at the station right now giving her statement in paying off Brody Lovett. The police will determine whether or not to press charges on her."

"When did this happened?"

"About thirty minutes ago," Dorian said.

"I need to get to the station," Rex said, "I need to know…"

"No!" Michael said grabbing his arm to stop him from walking away, "You're needed here."

"I'm going crazy here!" Rex said releasing his arm from Michael's grasp, "I need to know what that woman did to my family."

"Gigi is knocking on the 'coma forever door,'" Michael said, "You're needed here."

"He's right," Vicky said as she was walking up to the group, "You're needed here. That little boy looks up to you like you can make gold out of mud. Gigi needs you here. Rex you need to be here with your family."

"But I want to know what she did." Rex said, almost pouting like a child, "I need to know what she did to them, so I can protect them from her."

"Will it make this situation change in anyway?" Vicky challenged him to see the bigger picture and not the narrow world he was seeing now, "How can you protect them from something that already happened?"

"I want her to pay for what she did," Rex said.

"She will pay for any wrong doings on her part," Vicky said, "If not this lifetime than the next."

"Vicky…"

"Stay," she said, "I'll go to the station and fill you in on the details."

"Thank you," Rex said as he hugged Vicky. He watched her disappear down the hallway before walking to Gigi's room. She was transferred from the ER to a room in the ICU. He walked towards her bed and leaned down to gently kiss her forehead. "Morasco you were never one for the dramatics, so why start now?" he joked and even laughed a little. His laughter died down when he saw the woman who looked on the verge of death lying before him. "Now I know you don't like taking orders Morasco, but you're going to listen to me and follow my directions down to the letter. You need to wake up because your son….our son needs you. Our son, doesn't that sound wonderful on the ears?" he asked her with a smile. "Our boy is in surgery right now and it's not looking good. Brody did a real number on him and the odds aren't in his favor. But I know he will be okay, because that kid…our son, is a fighter like his mother. So if you fight like hell to come back to me and our son. Because I do not have the slightest clue how to raise him. I need your help on how to raise our son. We _both_ need his mother. We are going to live out the dream of being one big happy family, however it may look like." He smiled down at her unresponsive body, "Come on Morasco, you need to open your eyes because I miss looking at those sparkly emeralds you have piercing through my soul." He leaned over and kissed her forehead again before resting his head next to hers on the bed. It was already long day, and it just kept getting longer.


	6. Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister

**Disclaimer:** Chapter title is from a book by Gregory Maguire.

**Chapter 5 Confessions of an Ugly Stepsister**

_Present time_

Adriana sat in the interrogation room of the Llanview Police Department. She tried to understand the situation and how she could have turned into such a horrible monster. Why did she not see this? She shook her head at herself in disgust. She saw it. She just had the stupidity to actually believe Gigi would have the audacity to fake such a hatful crime that countless women have suffered throughout the ages. Gigi was too good of a person to be so spiteful to make a mockery of a serious crime as abuse….no assault on a woman from a man that was suppose to make her feel safe and loved. Not lost, scared, and hurt. _"It's not the bangs that made me bitchy, it was me," _she thought to herself, _"I did this to her. I paid for her to be continually abused by a man trained to kill with his bare hands. What the hell I was thinking? Is this something too horrible that not even God could forgive me for?"_ Adriana heard the door open. John and Antonio walked into the room. John threw door a pile of pictures. She glanced down briefly of pictures that were taken at the carriage house and of Gigi and Shane. She quickly pushed them away from her, "I don't want to see those."

"Don't you want to see what you paid for?" Antonio asked, "I mean Brody did one hell of a job on them, don't you think."

"I never told him to do this to her! To him!" she screamed back, "I would never have…"

"But you did tell him to do 'whatever it takes' right?" John asked, "This was the price they paid to obey your instructions." He pointed to the pictures to accentuate his point.

"Why?" Antonio asked, "Why would you do this to them?"

"I didn't know what was happening," Adriana admitted, "I just wanted her to stay away from Rex because even after two years he can't thinking about her!"

"So you degrade yourself to keep him instead of finding someone that would cherish you," John countered back, "Do you really have that little respect for you?"

"He loved me before she came into town!"

"But he loved her before he even knew you existed," Antonio countered, "So you paid Brody to terrorize Gigi into silence."

"It wasn't like that," she defended herself. She felt like the walls where closing in on her. She never thought that Brody would do this to Gigi and Shane. And the worst part was _she_ was paying him to do it.

"Your mother called me," John said, "and told me something that I found very interesting."

"What was that?"

"That you admitted to seeing Brody attack Gigi and did nothing about it," John said, "which makes this artificial innocent act you having going on really hard to believe."

"It's not an act," Adriana said, "I thought it was an act."

"What do you mean by that?" John asked, "Are you implying that you thought Gigi was making that up to play on Rex's sympathies, to lure him away from you?"

"Yes!"

"How so?"

"Because immediately after that the text messages, emails, and letters stopped," Adriana said, "If it was really happening it would have continued. But Gigi realized that Rex wasn't buying her lies and stopped."

"Or maybe she realized he didn't believe her and left her to fend for herself."

"I didn't think of it that way," Adriana admitted.

"Did you know anything about Brody before bringing him to Llanview?"

"Only that he was Shane's father," Adriana confessed, "but then he told me he wasn't. He was willing to let me pay him to stay here and play house with Gigi."

"Tell me about the time you saw the abuse."

"It was about a year and a half ago," Adriana said.

"Six months after your wedding," Antonio asked.

"Yes," she replied, "I was constantly checking Rex's phone and email for messages, his email. I would get the mail before Rex so I could intercept her letters before Rex had a chance to read them. I was getting tired to it all so I went to see Gigi. To confront her about them…"

_One Year, Six Months Ago_

Adriana had the last of Gigi's letters clutched in her hand as he stormed up to the carriage house door. She was about raise her hand to knock on the door when she heard them fighting.

"Leave me alone!" Gigi screamed.

"I ordered you to stop the interactions between Shane and Rex!" Brody yelled at her, "And yet they are out at a movie even as we speak!" Brody's voice dropped a few octaves as he said, "Are you deliberating defying me at every turn! When will you learn your lesson you stupid woman!"

"He's Shane's father and they deserve to know each other!" Gigi screamed back in a moment of strength. Gigi's split second of defiance was rewarded with a hard slap across the face. Her body moved three steps from the impact of his slap.

Adriana's eye widen as she saw it and the sound of his slap reached her ears, "This can't be happening." She quickly opened her purse and reached her cell phone. She had just dialed 911 and was about to push the send button when she looked up and saw them kissing. She closed her phone and shook her head in disgust. "She must have seen me come up and talked Brody into his little charade. That is so wrong on so many levels." She put her phone back in her purse. When she looked up she saw Gigi sitting on the couch with her head buried in her hands. What Adriana missed when her head was down was Brody grabbing the back of her neck and roughly pulling her into a bruising kiss. She didn't hear his low threat to bring Shane back now or else. She missed it all as she was searching her purse for her phone. Her head was down for only a few seconds, but those few seconds would cost Gigi and Shane so much in the future. Adrian turned around and left. She was seeing so much red at this moment she couldn't even stand sharing the same air with Gigi.

_Present Time_

"I will carry the shame of that moment for the rest of my life," Adriana said, "I let my hatred for Gigi and my desperation to hold onto Rex believe that could have been anything but that was an act. That Gigi would take something as serious of abuse to try and get Rex."

"So that's your story?"

"That's the truth," Adriana said, "I'm not asking…" Her sentence was cut off by Nora Hanen walking into the room.

"We are integrating a suspect Nora," John said, "You can't be here right now."

"I know," she said, "I'm here on behalf of my client."

"You're her lawyer?" Antonio asked.

"I should said clients," Nora said, "Gigi Morasco and Rex Balsom."

"This will have to wait until we are done here," Antonio said.

"I'd really like to get back to the hospital as quickly as possible," Nora said, "and it will take only a minute. I promise."

"How are they?" John asked.

"Shane's still in surgery and Gigi's in a coma. Dr. Sheppard had just arrived when I left," she explained, "but it doesn't look good."

"Let her stay," Adriana said, "she's needed elsewhere."

"Okay," John said as him and Antonio started to leave.

"You can stay," Adriana said, "It's only going to take a minute. I'm assuming you have the divorce papers from Rex already."

"Yes," Nora said taking them out of her briefcase and handing them to Rex, "Rex didn't want anything. Just what was his before the marriage. Everything else is yours."

"I don't care," she said, "Just give me a pen. I don't deserve any of it."

"I know," Nora said, "but my client was persistent that he doesn't want anything that would remind him of your time together."

Adriana nodded and signed her name. She tired not to feel the sting when she saw Rex already had signed it. She handed them back to Nora. "When Gigi wakes up," she said, "tell her I'm sorry."

"It's not when, it's if," Nora said.

"Gigi's a fighter," Adriana said with conviction, "so it's not if, but when."

"I have something for you," Nora said handing her an envelope, "It's from Gigi. She came to me about two months after your wedding looking for an attorney. Someone to keep this safe incase she well…you know."

"What is it?" she asked as she grabbed it.

"She wouldn't say," Nora explained, "She just wanted me to hold onto it and give it to you incase she of her death."

"But she's not dead," Adriana pressed.

"Not yet," she replied, "but her request was if she was dead or her life hanging in the balance to have me deliver this to you."

"I can't," Adriana said handing it back to her, "I can't read it. I'm too afraid to."

"It's important that you know the contents of this letter," Nora said, "Gigi was relentless that I make sure you read the letter."

"I can't."

"I think you owe her that much," Nora said bitterly handing it back to her.

Adriana nodded in agreement, but knew she owed her more than that. She tore open the envelope and pulled out the letter. She read it over and started crying. "What I have done?" she said dropping the letter as she folded her arms and cried into her arms.

"My work here is done gentlemen," she said, "I need to get back to the hospital."

"I understand," John said, "let Rex know when we are done here, we'll be back."

"I'll pass along your message," Nora said before walking out of the door and quietly closing it behind her. Lying on the table was Gigi's last words to Adriana, words that had officially shattered her heart into millions of pieces.

_Dear Adriana,_

_I know you must be thinking that this is a letter when I sarcastically write "You must be thrilled I am no longer here to threaten your relationship with Rex" but this isn't that type of letter. My words are scarce these days and I must use them wisely. We both know that Rex is Shane's father and when I die Rex and the world will know it as well. My last words to you are my plea to you. Rex will want to raise his son with you. And rightly so, Rex has been a great father to Shane without the title. My plea to you is to let Rex raise him. My hope is that you fall in love with him as well. I am confident that you will. Because the more you get to know him, the more you will see that Shane is truly his father's son. And I know how much you love his father. I beg you to please never let him forget me and help him live his life to the fullest; because I can't do that for him, not anymore. Please care for my son and love him with all your heart. Don't do it for me. Do it for Rex and for Shane, because you will be his strong female figure in his life. You will be his new mother, the woman that will continue to mold him into the man I started for the instant I held that small baby in my arms. Let him feel loved and inspire him to continue to be the amazing young man that he is._

_Gigi_

"Adriana," John said, brining her attention back to him.

"I don't want you to let me walk away from this unpunished," she pleaded with them, "I deserve everything that is coming to me."

To say that John and Antonio were shocked by her statement would be the understatement of the century. The men shared a look before turning his attention back to her.

"Adriana Balsom…" John said, but was cut off by her.

"Cramer," she corrected him, without a hint of bitterness in her tone.

"Adriana Cramer," John said again, "You're under arrest for aiding the attack of Gigi Morasco and Shane Morasco. You have the right to remain silent and refuse to answer questions. Do you understand?"

"Yes," she said.

"Anything you do say may be used against you in a court of law. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"You have the right to consult an attorney before speaking to the police and to have an attorney present during questioning now or in the future. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be appointed for you before any questioning if you wish. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"If you decide to answer questions now without an attorney present you will still have the right to stop answering at any time until you talk to an attorney. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Knowing and understanding your rights as I have explained them to you, are you willing to answer my questions without an attorney present?" John asked, he watched her nod her head, "I need you to answer the question."

"Yes I understand," Adriana said, "I must pay the price for my part in this. It doesn't matter whether I not I knew what was happening. I funded him the opportunity it do it."


	7. Prince Charming's Three Failed Rescues

**Disclaimer:** This chapter will include what Rex saw when he tried to save Shane and Gigi. I've worked on making it less gruesome so it would be easier to stomach. Not for the faint of heart. (Look at me, sounding so cheesy!) The Michael Kelso reference is from i That 70's Show. /i

**Chapter 6 Prince Charming's Three Failed Rescues**

_Present Time_

Rex was holding Gigi's small hand in his own as he looked at her with tender eyes. Her bangs fell in front on face and he brushed them away from her face. "You know Morasco; you're not making this easy on me," he whispered to her lifeless form, "I'm so angry and hurt at you right now. I wish you were awake right now so I can ream you out for hiding the fact that I have…that we have a son." He took a deep breath to reel in his emotions, "Why didn't you tell me from the beginning? Why did you keep this a secret from us?" He reached up and tucked the fallen strand of hair behind her ear. "You and Shane mean the world to me," he confessed, "Haven' you figured that out yet? I drop anyone and everything if you need me. I've done it before and I would have done it for this. I would have always done that for you." He voice rose as his anger returned, "Damn it Morasco!" he stood up and released her hand, "why didn't you tell me! You should have told me! I would have given my life to protect you and him from that cold hearted bastard!" His anger reached a boiling point as he kicked the chair he was sitting in before. He ran his frustrated hands through his hair and rubbed his face. Rex was exhausted, physically, emotionally, spiritually exhausted. He was running on low energy and did not know where he could get the strength for the next few hours of his life to be strong for his new and frail family. "This is all one big mess," he whispered to no one.

"Excuse me," a woman said from behind him, "Are you Rex Balsom?"

Rex spun quickly around and saw a woman dressed in light blue scrubs and her light brown hair pulled back in a messy bun. His first impression of her was that she looked too skinny, like she was borderline anorexic. She could be beautiful if one would go for a woman who looks like she's only every eaten a salad in her life…she's looks nothing like_ his_ Gigi. No his Gigi was beautiful in every plausible way.

"Are you okay?" she asked as she rested a hand on his shoulder.

Rex shook his head to rid himself of his thoughts, "Sorry," he said, "it's been a long day."

"That's an understatement," she said as she picked up the chair he had kicked to the floor just moments ago.

"Yeah," he said as he helped her with the chair, "I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay," she said, "You have every right to be angry right now but…"

"I'm trying not to be angry," he said cutting off the rest of her sentence, "I'm trying to give her positive energy," he smiled as he extended his hand to shake hers, "I'm Rex Balsom. Why are you looking for me?"

"I'm Dr. Meredith Grey," she said shaking his hand, "I'm Dr. Sheppard's intern..."

"Good evening Mr. Balsom," a dark haired man said behind him.

"Rex," he corrected the man who just walked into the room. This was the type of man that Michael Kelso would classify as 'man pretty.' He just hoped he was smarter than he looked.

"Rex," the man corrected "I'm Derrick Sheppard. Dr. Dorian Lord had called me in for a consult on Gigi's case. Dr. McBain had briefed me on my way in and from my understanding you are Ms. Morasco's power of attorney."

"That is correct Sir," Rex said as politely as possible. He just wanted these people to stop talking to him and save Gigi. He felt like his life was hanging in the balance and the outcome would only be determined on Gigi and Shane's recovering.

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Derrick said, "We would like to run some additional tests to get a better picture of the situation. With brain trauma it's best to proceed with all the facts."

"Is there anything you can tell me now?

"Just what you already know," Derrick said, "Gigi has lapsed into a coma, more tests will see if it is the good kind or the bad kind."

"Well here's to hoping for the good kind of coma?" Rex said, his face was indifferent to what the doctor had just told him.

"Basically it depends on when or if she will wake up," Meredith said, "which classifies a good or bad kind of coma."

"Thanks for putting it to me in lame man's terms," Rex said sarcastically before he reeled in his temper, "How long will it take?"

"Not long," Derrick said.

"Rex we understand the situation and know that time is of the essence," Meredith said trying to hurry him along.

"I will leave you to it," Rex said walking to Gigi. He placed a kiss on her forehead and whispered sweet nothings in her ear as well an encouragement to keep on fighting. He kissed her forehead again, "You need to hold on a little longer Morasco," he whispered one last time.

"We'll find you when we're done…" Derrick started to say after Rex was done with his tender moment with Gigi.

"I'll be right outside," Rex said, "this is my family. There's no where else I would be."

Both doctors nodded in understanding. They both knew what it felt like to have the person you love most in the hospital hanging onto life.

Rex left the room and just sat down when John and Antonio approached him. He jumped up to greet the men, "What's going on guys?"

"We need you to come to the station to give your statement about what happened today," John said.

"I can't leave now," Rex said, "The specialist just arrived and is looking over Gigi. Shane's still in surgery. I am needed here."

"It's important…" Antonio began to say.

"This right here is the most important place, where I am needed most," Rex said, gesturing with one hand towards Gigi's door and the other hand where Shane was wheeled off to surgery, "I know you need to do your investigation but I can't leave this place."

"Rex," John said.

"Shouldn't you be out there looking for the bad guy instead of twiddling your thumbs here!" Rex sneered at them, his patience had worn thin and he had nothing left for the men in front of him. "He's getting away and you're not chasing him! Isn't that was cops do! Chase the bad guys!"

Both police officers took a deep breath to keep themselves from yelling back at the worn out man before them. They had watch the rise and now fall of this man as he staggered back onto a chair, slumped down in defeat. The high energy, stress, and emotions running rampant have taken its toll on the dilapidated man before him. They saw his chest rise up and down at a heighten pace and quick sobs escape his lips. If one needed to define a broken man, it would be this picture of Rex Balsom.

"I'm sorry," he muttered out of his lips between tears. He wiped his face and ran his hand through his hair before looking up at the officers with his light pink eyes, "I didn't mean to snap at you. It's just been a long day."

"You need some sleep," Antonio said.

"I can't leave here," Rex said, "I'm needed here."

"I'm sure my brother could let you crash in the on call room," John said, "You're no good to either of them Rex if your running on your last leg."

"I can't do anything until I know what's going on," Rex said.

"We have men canvassing the city looking for Brody," John said, "We have all roads blocked, bus stations and the airport under watch. We'll find him."

"But what we need…" Antonio tried to say.

"Can't we just do it here?" Rex said in a small voice that made him sound more like a small child begging for his heart's desire than a grown man asking for a favor.

The officers looked at each other and knew that they could not deny the shattered man before them this one request.

"Sure," John said as he sat next to Antonio and Rex in the waiting area of the hospital, "Do you mind if we record this conversation."

"No," Rex said.

Antonio nodded and pushed the record button before turning his attention to Rex. "Did you have any suspicion that this was going on?"

"If I did, he'd be dead already and this would have never happened," Rex said simply in the most serious expression and tone Rex Balsom has ever used.

"This is not a time for joking around Rex," John said, "This is being recorded for official police business! You can't just admit to two officers of the law on tape no less that you would have killed a man."

"I'm not joking around here," Rex said his voice was calm, "I never have been more serious in my entire life!" Rex paused to take a deep breath and will away the images from tonight, "If I knew that he was putting his hands on her, he'd be dead in heart beat. In fact that bastard better pray to God that I don't find him first."

"Enough with the threats Balsom" John said as he turned off the tape recorder, "Are you looking for trouble?"

"No I'm looking for Brody," Rex snapped, "but he seemed to have fallen off the place of the planet!"

"We have the whole force looking for him," Antonio assured him, "He will be found soon…" Antonio watched in confusion as Rex's calm demeanor had shattered before him and he went back to slumping in the chair. His head cradled in his hands as he tried to stop from crying again. "Are you okay?"

"I should have known," Rex whispered.

"Should have known what?" John asked as he placed a comforting hand on Rex's shoulder as he watched Antonio turn on the tape recorder.

"I should have known something was wrong with her from the beginning."

"What do you mean by that?" Antonio asked.

Rex sat up and starred into space as he began to reveal the source of shame he will be carrying with him for the rest of his life. "Because Brody came back into the picture and Gigi changed completely; her senses were heightened and she was startled easily. Her relationship with Shane changed."

"How?" John asked.

"Gigi has always been protective of Shane," Rex explained, "He was able to do the kid stuff but he had to be home every night. It didn't matter who he was with. Gigi kept him close to home without making Shane feel like he had no freedom. I was never allowed to have him for more than a few hours in the day if we were doing something. Only Viki was allowed to have him for overnight trips and those were few and far between. When Brody came back, Gigi was sending Shane to various camps, overnighters at my house and Viki's, as well as sleepovers at friend's house. It was like everything changed and Gigi did everything in her power to make sure Shane wasn't at home for an extended period of time."

"You thinking she was trying to keep Shane away from Brody and the violence?" Antonio asked.

"Yeah," Rex said, his face fell a little more, "I remember this one time about a year ago, Shane was away at baseball camp and Adriana was in Paris for about two weeks. Gigi had come to my house around midnight. She was so freaked out and nervous about something. Her body wouldn't stop shaking no matter what I did to warm her up. Something had scared her beyond anything I had ever seen in my life…"

_One Year Ago_

"_I know honey," Rex said to Adriana on the phone, "I miss you too." He heard the thunder behind him as the storm ran rampant throughout Llanview that evening._

"_I'll see you in a few short days," she said._

"_I can't wait," Rex said, "Have a good night."_

"_You mean morning," she said before laughing._

"_Whatever," he said, "It's nighttime here."_

"_Night Rex," she said, "I love you."_

"_Me too," he said before hanging up. He looked the phone, "Me too? Me too? Way to be romantic there Balsom!" Rex set the phone on the table, "Me too," he scuffed at himself. He heard the faintest knock on the door. He did a double take not sure if he heard it right the first time. When the tiny knock came again he quickly went to the door and put his ear to the door. He could hear some sniffling from the owner of the tiny knock before the soft tap hit his door. He took a moment to thank God that his midnight caller did not pound louder because it would have hurt his ear. He wasn't sure what he was expecting when he opened the door, but the sight he saw he was not prepared for. Gigi Morasco soaking wet from head to toe from the storm that was raging outside of his window. She was shivering from head to toe and he could see the goose bumps on top goose bumps. It took him thirty seconds for his brain to register that this was real and not a dream. He watched as she wiped away the tears from her eyes. He wasn't sure what was rain or tears she was wiping away. "Oh my God," he said breaking away from his thoughts, "Come inside before you catch you death of something that resembles an old wives' tale!" _

_Gigi was left standing in the kitchen as a small puddle of water quickly formed around her. She watched as Rex darted quickly into the bathroom and came out with some towels. He wrapped one around her and then took another one and tended to her head. She winced when he touched her bruise and saw him mouth his apology. She remembered the baseball incident lie she told him to cover up Brody's punch to her eye. She looked up at his face and saw such determination has he continued to dry her hair without causing her anymore pain. She felt his hands rubbing her arms before moving her to legs. Her body shook at every bruise he unknowingly touched. _

_He noticed how zombie like she was went he started to towel dry her legs. If Gigi was here, she would have ridiculed him for doing this when the towel first touched her body. She would have said something along the lines that she was an independent woman that was capable of drying herself; this woman never moved a muscle. He also noticed every few seconds her body would shake. "How cold is she?" he thought to himself. When he was satisfied that she was dry he quickly when to his room and grabbed some pajama pants, t-shirt, and a sweatshirt for her to put on. He went back to her and placed the items in her hands, "You can use the bathroom if you like?" he said. He let go of the items of clothing and watched as they fell from her hands as she continued to stare into space. _

_Rex didn't know what to make of this situation. He's never seen her like this before and what he did know what how terrified he was to see her like this. "It's okay Morasco," he reassured her like a small child, "I can help you get out of those wet clothes and into some dry ones." Rex took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. As he reached for the first button he contemplated in his head if this would be considered cheating. Rex was lost in his thoughts and too focused on his fumbling fingers that he failed to notice Gig's eyes widen in horror. What he did notice was her tiny hands quickly making their way to his chest as she shoved him away hard. Rex fell to the ground and looked up to see the terror in her eyes._

"_No!" she screamed as she started grabbing the clothes that fell in front of Rex._

"_I'm sorry," he said as he watched her every movement as she picked up the clothes and walked to the bathroom, "You're right and I'm wrong. This is completely inappropriate…." Rex trailed off as the bathroom door closed. Rex heard the lock turn seconds later._

"_What the hell is going on here?" Rex wondered as he looked at the bathroom door, "Should I call Brody?" He reached for the phone, "He might have some insight," he was about to turn the phone on when he set it back down. "He's the last person on earth I want to talk to about Gigi," he reasoned with himself, "I don't trust that man with anything. Morasco will tell me." He had this inner debate with himself as he pick up and starting dialing countless times before hanging up the phone again. The phone won the battle when it began to ring, "Hello?"_

"_Rex it's Brody," the ex navy seal said, "Is Gigi there?"_

"_I haven't seen her since this morning," Rex said without missing a beat, "Is she missing in action?" He smiled at his own pun. "Do you need help finding her?" he already knew the answer to the question before he asked it. He was amazed at his own actions skills, he would definitely need to remember to thank that academy for the Emmy performance he had going on. "I could be over there in like five minutes."_

"_No," Brody responded immediately, "that will not be necessary. She's not missing," he continued, "She went out with some friends and hasn't come home yet. I'm sure she'll be home soon. The place is kind of empty; I was feeling a little lonely."_

"_Sorry to hear that," Rex said, trying to sound sincere._

"_I'll let you go," Brody said, "I'm sure she's on her way."_

"_I'm sure she's unlocking the door even as we speak," he said, "Good night." He heard the dial tone and scuffed at the phone for Brody's rudeness. "I'm positive she won't be home soon jackass," he mumbled to himself. He set the phone down when he heard the bathroom door and turned around quickly. The sight he saw had to be hands down the most beautiful thing he had ever seen: Gigi drowning in his clothes, no make up, and wet hair. In this moment he wished that he had a camera to capture this beauty for all eternity. A beauty that was still shaking from head to toe. He quickly closed the gap between him and ran his hands up and down her arms. "Why is she still shaking," he thought to himself, "What had happened to her?"_

"_Morasco," he said tenderly as he looked into her eyes, "did you get hurt?" He witnessed the tears immediately spring from her eyes as he wrapped his arms around her and gently rubbed her back. "Who hurt you?"  
_

_Gigi looked up at him with glossy eyes before lowering her head, shoulder dropped, and an expression he had never seen on her face. He watched her head shake from side to side. "No one hurt you?" he asked._

_In the same position she nodded yes before returning her original position. "I think I know," Rex said, he noted her eyes widen in fear of something he was sure what it was, "You miss Shane," he said, "He's been gone for two weeks know at baseball camp. Got a case of the missing Shane blues."_

_He watched as her body shrank to the pervious position. She looked so sullen as she nodded yes. He didn't know what this position and expression meant. But one year later. Just 365 days or 8,736 hours or 524,160 minutes when Rex would finally learn what this would mean. 31,449,600 seconds later to realize that this was Gigi's final cry for help. Brody tried continuously to break her, but this moment was what broke her._

_Rex watched as she back out of his embrace and walked to his bed. She didn't even hesitant to crawl into his side of the bed as she let his smell engulf her. Rex watched as she looked at him with the saddest eyes known to man and then at the empty side of bed. She rolled away from the empty space. Rex quietly walked to the bed and crawled in under the covers. He laid on his back and was unsure what to do. He moved to hold her in his arms but went back onto his back. Gigi solved this inner battle when she rolled over and snuggled closely to his body. Rex wrapped his arms around her and gently held her to him._

"What happened in the morning?" John asked.

"Nothing," Rex said, "I woke up alone. I called her several times but she wouldn't take my calls or return them. And any time after that Brody was always around. If I could take back that night I would. It was my last chance to reach her and I didn't….why didn't I…"

"You can't blame yourself," Antonio said.

"Sounds good only in theory," Rex said, "I take back what I said. I'd take back my wedding day. This time I would not say 'I do' and I would follow Gigi out of that church."

"Tell me what happened last night," John said trying to steer the conversation away from all the 'what ifs' and back to the present. John knew that everyone here had their own lists of 'what ifs' and he was no exception.

"I was in the kitchen when I heard my phone ring," Rex said, "I remember it ringing a lot before I finally took it from Adriana…"

_Ten Hours Earlier_

"_Aren't you going to get that?" Rex asked. He looked over to see Adriana staring at the caller ID, "Adriana?" he asked, "Earth to Adriana, come in Adriana," he said with a smile before he gave up and walked over to her. He grabbed his phone from Adriana and quickly answered it before it went to voicemail, "Hello?" he said in a funny voice. He would soon learn that laughter and fun would be sucked from the world he lives in with one horrifying scream. "Hello?" he said more quickly and seriously, "Who is this?" Rex notice that Adriana's demeanor changed with his tone. She looked confused and curious about the caller._

"_Rex you have to save her!" Shane screamed into the phone._

"_Shane," Rex said, "what's going on?"_

"_You have to help her!" Shane said panicking, "You promised me."_

"_Slow down there buddy and tell me what is going on," Rex said, trying to piece together this puzzle._

"_You have to save her!" Shane repeated, Rex could hear the urgency in his shaky voice._

"_Who?"_

"_Mom!" Shane said, "He's killing her!" Gigi's piercing scream could be heard in the background just before something large was broken._

"_Where are you?" Rex demanded as he grabbed his keys and heading to the door._

"_Home," Shane said, "You have to hurry, he's going to kill her!"_

"_I'm on my way," Rex said, "You find a place to hide and I want you to stay there."_

"_I have to save her!"_

"_Leave the saving to me okay," Rex said, "I want you to find a good place to hide….in fact I want you to run to the main house and call the police."_

"_I can't…"_

"_Go now Shane!" Rex ordered as he opened his door, "you're mom would want you safe." _

"_Okay," Shane said._

_Rex turned to Adriana as he walked out the door, "Call the police, Brody is attacking Gigi."_

"_Are you sure?"_

"_Are you serious?" Rex asked, "Why would Shane lie about this? Besides the fact I heard her in the background. Call the police and send them to the carriage house. Gigi's in danger, we have to save her!" Rex ran out the door and into his car. He broke all speed limits as he got to Gigi's place in record time. He ran to the front door to find it locked. He went to the rock that held her spare key to find it missing. He looked around to see if it was moved when he heard Gigi scream._

"_Leave him alone Brody!" she screamed, "He's just a little boy."_

"_He's my little boy!" Brody yelled, "Rex Balsom can never have my family!"  
_

"_He's not yours!" Gigi yelled, "Everything belongs to…" her sentence was cut off when Brody punched her in the face, sending her back a few feet. _

_Rex started banging on the door and could hear Brody cursing at him through the door. "When I get my hands on you Brody you're going to wish you were never born!"_

"_No Balsom," he said, "When I'm finished here, you're the one who's going to be making that wish."_

_Rex could hear both of his loved ones screaming when he looked into the window. He saw Shane on Brody's back as he tired to protect his mother from that monster. He witnessed Brody slamming Shane into a wall until Shane let go and fell to the ground. He saw Gigi go after Brody only to witness Brody punching her so hard she flew backwards and landed on the coffee table, shattering it into pieces. Gigi had never regained conscious. Rex moved back to the door and could hear Shane screaming for his mother. He kept trying to open the door by force when it became silent. Rex looked in the window to see what was going on when he saw Brody had pinned Shane to the floor and covered his mouth._

"_He will never be yours," Brody said._

_Rex's eyes widened in horror as Brody lifted his butcher knife from the floor and stabbed Shane in the stomach. Rex started to hit the window with his elbow in hopes to break it as he watched the knife go up Shane's torso. The blood was oozing out of his body and quickly soaked his shirt. When the window finally broke, Rex reached to unlock it when he heard Brody say "You can't have them." Rex reached the lock when he heard the sirens in the background. He unlocked the door and ran to Shane's side. He looked at Gigi and felt helpless, two of them and one of him. Within seconds the police was there and minutes later ambulances for Shane and Gigi. Rex road with Shane to the hospital and had to watch him be revived back to life on the way there._

"And the rest as they say is history," Rex said sarcastically, "The one good thing that came from that night."

"What?" John said a little intrigued.

"Shane remembered to call me if he needed anything," Rex said, "if it wasn't for that, they would both be dead right now."

"Yeah," Antonio said, "that is a good thing."

The door opened and the doctors walked towards Rex. He immediately sprang to his feet to greet the doctor's half way. "What's the prognosis doc?" Rex asked, hopeful for some good news.

"It's good and bad," Derrick said, "Her brain is swelling and we need to do surgery to drill a hole to relieve the pressure on her brain before there will be any permanent brain damage."

"I hope that's the bad news," Rex said.

"The good news is that there should be no permit damage to her brain and she should wake up from her coma sometime after the surgery," Derrick explained.

Rex could not withhold his joy as he quickly reached out and hugged the startled doctor, "Thank you so much!" Rex said with a smile on his face; the first smile seen on his face in over ten hours. The glimmer of hope quickly disappeared when he saw something out of the corner of his eye when he was hugging the doctor. He looked up and pushed away the doctor, "NO!" he screamed as he ran towards Gigi's room.

John and Antonio looked into the window to see Brody Lovett in the flesh standing over Gigi with a butcher knife. There was something white attached to the handle that they could not see. They ran after Rex and joined his struggle in breaking down the door. But all three men were too late.

Rex watched in as Brody lifted the knife up and stabbed Gigi in the heart. His eyes were fixated on Gigi's lifeless form as the door opened. He was numb from head to toe as the police officers began their pursuit of Brody Lovett. Rex turned his head to the side and read the note, _"You can never have them." _ The doctors went past Rex as they rushed to Gigi's side. Throughout all of this, Prince Charming could only think, _"I have failed her again."_


	8. Aurora Pricked Her Finger

**Chapter 7: Aurora Pricked Her Finger**

Rex stood in front of his mirror frustrated with himself. After the third failed attempt to tie his own tie he let out a frustrating growl. Seconds later he heard a woman giggling behind him. "You think that's funny Morasco?" he said turning to face her. He looked her up and down. _"God, she's beautiful,"_ he thought to himself.

"Yes I do," she said, "I can't believe that _ten _years later and Rex Balsom still doesn't know how to tie his own time." She walked up towards him and started tying it for him.

"Maybe I just enjoy looking down at a beautiful woman as she ties it for me," he said with a flirtatious wink.

"Oh and how many women tie your tie for you?" she said as she tightened too tightly.

"Just you," he choked out, "I'd only want you doing it."

"Good answer," she said loosening the tie a bit, "How's that?"

"You're beautiful," he said looking down on her elegant but simple black dress.

"I'm talking about your tie," she said, smacking him on the chest.

"The tie is boring to talk about," he said, "but you're not." He gave her a sly smile before giving her a chaste kiss on the mouth.

"Gross," Shane complained as he walked out of the bathroom to see that sight, "Dad you told me you weren't going to be doing that anymore!"

"I do believe my son," Rex said, "That I said that if I wasn't under the spell of this vixen…"

"Hey!" Gigi objected.

"I'd gladly stop kissing her," Rex continued, "but at last, I have been hexed for life. I must kiss her for the rest of my life." He leaned in to kiss her again and watched as she pulled away.

"Dream on there buddy," she said pointing her finger at him, "See if I ever kiss her again for that vixen comment you made."

"Hallelujah!" Shane yelled with his hands in the air.

"We'll just see about that," Rex said as he wrapped his arms around Gigi and started kissing her neck as he slowly made his way to her lips.

"My parents are disgusting," Shane mumbled as he walked out of the room.

"Did you hear that?" Gigi said, "Our son thinks were disgusting."

"I heard," he said between his kisses, "but disgusting never felt so good." He started backing her towards the stairs to the bedroom.

"I don't think so buddy," Gigi said pushing him away, "we have to go now!"

"But…"

"Now!" she said more forcefully.

"Rex."

Rex tried to ignore the voice behind him as he continued to focus on Gigi.

"Rex," Bo said as he put his hand on Rex's shoulder, "we need to get going. Are you ready?"

Rex turned and saw Bo, Roxie, and Charlie, all three of them looking grief stricken. Rex turned back to Gigi to tell her a joke about the somber three behind him to find her missing. He could see his reflection in the mirror and wonder where she ran off too, "Gigi?" he yelled.

"Rex…" Bo tried to speak.

"Gigi," Rex said, "Where did you go?"

"I have to get Shane ready," she yelled from the closet, "he thinks I'm going to let him wear jeans and a t-shirt to church today. I'll meet you there." She paused for a second, "I love you Balsom!" she said in a cheerful voice.

"I love you too Morasco," Rex said, "I'll see you at church." He turned back to his three companions and they looked like they wanted to say something to him but couldn't find the words.

"Why do you guys look like someone died?" Rex asked, "Come on we're going to be late."

"Balsom…"

"Bo," Rex said, "We're going to be late and weren't you the one pressuring me to leave just a moment ago?" Rex walked past them and missed the worried look they gave each other.

"Looks like today will be harder than we all thought it was going to be," Charlie said as he put a comforting arm around Roxie.

"My poor boy," she said through her tears.

The drive to the church was quiet, Rex was on his phone talking to Gigi to see how much longer she would be as the three older adult exchanged looks. This was above all of them and they were not sure what to do. When the car stopped Rex saw someone and jumped out of the car. He ran up to her and hugged her, "How did you beat me here?" he asked.

"Bo drives like an old man," Shane said.

"Shane Balsom," Rex scolded, "Don't you dare say that about the man who treats you like his own grandson!" he hesitated for a moment before saying, "No matter how true it might be."

"Balsom!" Gigi scolded him and slapped his shoulder.

"I'm sorry Dad," Shane said.

"Forgiven kid," Rex said as he wrapped his arms around his son. When their hug ended he put one hand on the small of Gigi's back and the other arm around his son and the small family walked into church.

Bo, Roxie, and Charlie walked behind Rex; they were getting worried by the second. Neither one of them knew what to do in the situation. Both Roxie and Charlie looked at Bo to go comfort Rex.

"What do I do?" Bo asked helplessly.

"I wish I knew," Charlie said.

"Don't we all," Roxie said as she watched Bo speed up to catch Rex before he made it to the sanctuary of the church.

Rex escorted his new family into the church. He opened the door to the sanctuary for Gigi and Shane and followed in after them. He looked around for them as they disappeared. He saw them up by the altar as he took tentative steps towards them. He tried to ignore the grief stricken faces around him, pitying him with ever step he took. When he reached the altar he open and closed his eyes three times, not believing the site before him. When it did not change he rubbed his eyes, with a false sense of hope that he was merely sleeping. When he opened his eyes for the fourth time, the picture remained the same. Gigi and Shane Morasco lying dead in their coffins. He turned around and saw the pitied faces of his friends and family. He was at their funeral, but it didn't make any sense. He just walked into the church with them. He turned back to the coffins and suddenly a rush of memories engulfed him of the last seventy-two hours. Brody stabbing Gigi in the heart, she didn't survive the attack from Brody and she died before she could even be brought to surgery. He never had the chance to tell her how much he loved her. Shane dying on the operating table because of the extent of damage was too much for his small and fragile body. Shane dying before Rex could even tell him that he belonged to him, not Brody. They both died before they would know his love for them, before they would know what it would feel like to be cherished by someone the way he still cherishes them. The most horrifying moment of all was the fact that Brody Lovett still lived and breathed a free man. The police never caught him that day in the hospital.

Rex couldn't believe the injustice. Brody deserved death, not his precious family. Rex vowed that he would bring Brody Lovett to justice. His life mission was to hunt down that bastard and kill him with his own two hands. Brody Lovett's days on this earth were numbered. Rex's body was becoming too much of a burden to hold up as he fell to his knees in tears.

Bo hurried to catch up the Rex and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw Rex on his knees crying out at the altar. He ran up to him and wrapped his arms around the broken man and held him. Bo didn't know what to do or how to comfort Rex in his loss. Charlie approached him and helped Bo pick up Rex and sit him down in the pew. The funeral was about to begin.

The priest who had witnessed Rex's breakdown wiped tears from his own eyes as he went to the pulpit. "Dearly beloved," he began, "We are here today to celebrate and mourn the lives of Gigi and Shane Morasco." The priest knew how hard this service would be when he woke up this morning, but now as he was going through it he knew he underestimated how hard this would be…this was beyond unbearable.


	9. Snow White's Poisoned Apple

**Chapter 8 Snow White's Poisoned Apple**

Rex had never felt so numb in his life. Was it possible for one's shattered heart to ache this much? Rex didn't think he had the strength to move on; his whole life was taken from him by one deranged sociopath. Rex felt a hand on his shoulder and he shook it off. He didn't want comfort. He didn't deserved comfort. It was his fault that his family was dead, he deserved to be put to death for failing to protect those closest to his heart from that monster. He felt the hand on his shoulder and heard Bo Bunchan call out his name. Rex turned to him and couldn't see anyone.

"Open you're eyes Balsom," Bo instructed.

Rex slowly opened his eyes and found himself laying on a hospital gurney, "What am I doing here?"

"What do you remember?" Michael McBain asked him as he put his hand on Rex's eye lids to look into his eyes for a possible concussion.

"I was at the church," Rex said, "Gigi and Shane's funeral." Rex witnessed the confused look shared between the two men, "What is going on? What does that look mean?"

"Rex," Bo said, "they aren't dead."

"What do you mean?" Rex said quickly, "I was there…Brody…"

"You past out," Michael explained, "Gigi's flat lined and when I went to shock her heart you passed out."

"How long have I been out of it?" Rex asked.

"Just a few minutes," Michael explained, "Dr. Shepherd and Dr. Grey took Gigi to the OR. They called in a collage that is doing a talk at the university. She's a heart specialist. I can't remember her name…"

"Dr. Erica Hahn," Bo filled in for the frazzled doctor.

"It doesn't matter what her name is," Rex said, "How is my family?"

"Gigi is in emergency surgery," Michael explained, "Dr. Shepherd is hoping to relieve the pressure to her brain while Dr. Hahn works on the stab wound."

"Will she be okay?" Rex asked hesitantly. He was too afraid of the answer. He didn't want his nightmare to become true.

"The odds are not in her favor," Michael said as he looked away from Rex. These last 18 hours was starting to wear him down as well and looking at Rex didn't make it any better. The young doctor felt helpless in this situation as specialists were being called in due to Dorian Lord's influence. But if it was Marcie, he'd want the best possible care for her as well.

Rex felt his shattered heart break even more as Bo put his hand on his shoulder.

"Remember Balsom," Bo said, "Gigi is a fighter. She won't go down without a fight."

"Have they found him yet?" Rex asked.

Bo looked down in shame, "Not yet," he felt Rex roll his shoulder to remove his hand from Rex's shoulder, "But I promise you that we will find him. Brody Lovett will pay for his crimes."

"You better pray to God that I don't find him first," Rex threatened, "because if I do, he's a dead man!" Rex jumped off the gurney and stumbled a little as his equilibrium was still off. He started walking to the door when he stopped. "My son," he asked Michael as he turned around, "How is my son?"

"Shane is out of surgery," Michael said, "but he is in very critical condition. The next 24 hours will be crucial for him. He's still unconscious from the anesthesia but it will wear off soon."

"And then?" Rex asked.

"And then we wait for him to wake up," Michael said, "I told you that he's in critical condition. Shane's next battle is making it through the night without his body failing."

"What will happen if it does?" Rex asked.

"Shane's body went through a lot of trauma when Brody attacked him," Michael explained, "and the surgery he just went through reeked havoc on his body." Michael paused and looked at the man before him, "These next 24 hours are critical," he said to one of his wife's good friends.

"Can I see him?" he asked, "I want to see my son."

"In a few minutes," Michael said, "He's being transferred to the ICU. I'll come and get you when he's ready for visitors."

Rex watched Michael leave the room before collapsing on the chair behind him. He buried his hands in his head and started to cry. He knew that it was taboo for men to cry, but he didn't have the strength to hold back the tears. His family was fighting for his life and the big strong protector was helpless to do anything about it. As much as he had the superman complex when it came to Shane and Gigi before he knew they were his, he couldn't save them now when it matter the most. He couldn't protect them. He had failed them in every possible way. He failed as his father. He failed as her soul mate. He just flat out failed them.

Bo sat down next to Rex and put his hand on his back as a form of comfort. When it didn't help he pulled Rex into his arms like a father comforting the broken spirit of his son.

"I don't think I have the strength for this anymore," Rex confessed through his tears.

"No man would," Bo said, "our strength comes from our love and your loves are…" Bo just trailed off, not sure how to continue.

"They're dying," Rex said, "and it's my fault."

"They are not dying," Bo countered, "They are fighting for their lives right now." Bo pulled Rex away and looked him in the eyes. "You are strong enough to fight this because you're strength comes from the ones you love. Rex they need you and that's why I know you're strong enough for this."

"But you just said no man would," Rex said.

"On his own, yes no man would have the strength for this," Bo said, "but there are so many people here for you that love you that can give you strength. You'll find the strength because you have to because that is your family in there fighting. You give them strength to fight just like they give you strength to fight."

"Are you sure I'm not alone?" Rex asked, "I feel so unbelievable alone."

"I'm here, your mother, Marcie, Natalie, Clint, Nora, Jared of all people, and even Charlie," Bo said, "We are here for you. You will not go through this alone. You need strength son," Bo said, "take mine, it's yours."

Rex looked at the face of the man he had long ago wished was his father. Bo Bunchan would never ceases to amaze him. This is where he would learn to be a father…no a dad to his little boy…correction his growing young man. "I wish you were my father," he mumbled.

"Me too Balsom," Bo whispered back. Bo embraced his faux son and wished that Rex could feel his love for the him as if he was his son.

"Rex," Michael said as he approached the duo, "You can see Shane if you'd like."

"Thanks Mike," Rex said removing himself from Bo's fatherly embrace and wiping away the tears.

"I need to warn you," Michael said, "Shane still has a breathing tube in his throat since he's not ready to be taking off the ventilator. There are wires and tubes coming from him. I want you to prepare yourself for the sight you'll see."

"No man could prepare to see his son like that," Rex said cutting off the doctor, "But I can give him strength to fight his way back to me and his mother."

Michael smiled at his response and put a comforting hand on his shoulder, "That is one lucky boy you have there."

"I'm the lucky one," Rex corrected the doctor again, "have you seen my family." Even in this dire situation Rex couldn't stop himself from bragging about his loved ones.

"That I have," Michael said, removing his hand from Rex's shoulder, "Shane needs positive energy around him right now."

"I know," Rex said, "I won't fail him this time around."

"No one is accusing you of failing him," Michael said, "_You're_ the reason he's alive right now."

"And I'm the reason he's like that now," Rex said in shame, "I should have known what was happening."

"I have a waiting room full of people thinking the same thing Rex," Michael said, "what you need to focus on is what you did when you found out. If it wasn't for you, they would have died hours ago." Michael stopped in front of Shane's room, "Remember positive energy and thoughts. Shane is like his father, he's strong."

"Thanks Michael," Rex said as he hesitated at the door.

"Dr. James will be in shortly to check on Shane," Michael said, "He said he would be personally keeping an eye on Shane during this recovery."

"Thanks," Rex said, "I didn't think specialist did the checking. I thought that is why they had interns."

"Usually," Michael said, "but he's doing this as a favor to Dorian. Plus I think that boy of yours charmed the doctor."

"He is a charmer," Rex said with a smile on his face.

Michael was satisfied with the genuine smile on his face and knew Rex was ready to walk into the room now, "Go see your son," he said.

Rex nodded at the young doctor before turning to face the door to his son's room. He took a deep breathe and walked into the room. The sight before him made him want to break down into tears. This was nothing to what Michael had described. Shane had tubes and wires coming from every part of him. Rex looked at the heart monitor and saw a low heart beat. His son was hanging on for his life. What could he do to save him? He sat down next to Shane and took his small hand in his. "Hey Shane," Rex said, "It's me Rex. I have something to tell you and I really need you to get better so I can tell you. Something incredible happened to me today and well…it happened for the both of us…all three of us," he corrected. "I know this might be confusing and hard to understand; but I'm your father Shane. It involves a long story with your mother and me leaving before I knew about you that I promise to tell you later. But what you need to know is that I loved you like you were my own child before I even knew you were really mine. I love you Shane," he said as the tears fell from his eyes again. "I love you son," he said as he reached up and brushed away his bangs from his eyes, "I need you to come back to me and your mother. We would be lost without you." Rex rested his head next to Shane's arm on the bed as he continued to hold his precious son's hand.

After a few minutes Rex felt someone tap his shoulder. He looked up with his red eyes and saw the intern looking down at him. "What's going on?"

"Dr. Shepherd requested I come find you," she said, "Can we talk outside?" Meredith went to the door and turned around to watch the young father whisper something to his son and kiss the boy's forehead. He walked up to her and gestured her to walk out the door first. He closed the door behind him and took her a few yards from Shane's door. She figured she didn't want the boy any chance to over hear about his mother's condition, even if he was still unconscious.

"What's going on with Gigi?" Rex asked the intern.

"Dr. Shepherd requested that we wait for him," Meredith replied.

Rex didn't like that reply, something was going on and he didn't like it, "Or you could tell me now, what happened?" The intern refused to answer him he asked, "Is she…did she die in surgery?"


End file.
